Dear Henry
by DrTonaWho
Summary: A story in which Regina leaves three weeks after Neverland. This is her journey through the letters she writes to Henry everyday. Swan Queen mentioned.
1. Chapter 1

****Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or recognizable characters, all credit belongs to Once Upon A Time. I'm merely borrowing them to dance to my will.****

**AN: Hello there! I'm quite new and decided to try this out, fanfiction that is. It may not meet most expectations but I just had this story bouncing around my head****. Reviews, however bad or good, are welcomed. Thank you.**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_It was right after Neverland as we docked into the sea filled air of Storybrooke. I must admit, seeing this place fills me with warmth. Although many of its citizens would protest, it's my home. I made it myself and ten years of it was spent with you. At first I considered it my eternal hell. Then it brought me, you, Emma, and a shook me from my tabula rasa veil of evil magic within. Though that's not what you want to hear, is it now my little prince?_

_You want to know why I left._

_I'll tell you._

_Looking upon Emma, the Charmings, and Neal did I realize, you have it. Your perfect family. __Now...I do love you Henry. __I've raised you as best I could, with as much as love as I could manage, seeing as I've never quite had parental love myself growing up._

_I truly tried. And if I'm honest, it wasn't that hard. Loving you. It wasn't difficult at all, because you wiggled yourself into my heart faster than anyone could have imagined. You truly are the most special boy. My special boy. No matter what happens or what you choose, you are mine. And I'm yours._

_But it seems you've picked._

_And that's okay.__That's okay._

_I know you'll be spending more time with Charming and his famous camping trips he's awarded you. As for Snow, make sure it isn't all sweet and fats. I know you to be the kind of child who knows what's good for him and what's not. I raised you better than to eat donuts every morning. In any case, I've left a food chart._

_Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Don't try to find me. I've made sure to make Ms. Swans tracking ability a non-workable sight. __I hope you have your happy ending, and I hope to find mine within the road in front of me. __Once again, I love you._

_Love mom._

_P.S.-don't ever forget my time as your mother, for I will never forget my time being just that. The pizza rewards, picnics, and the ever staged question for the weekends, "what should we do today?"__  
__Because this, leaving you, is the most difficult thing I've ever had to do.__  
__I almost didn't, but I couldn't be here anymore._

_Goodbye my little prince._

_Mommy loves you._

She knows it sounded cliché and simple, but she needed the very boy she's writing to understand. In the most simplistic way as possible. He didn't need to know the other reasons, not the reasons that involved Emma. Regina debated on whether to write her a letter too; she decided against it.

_No_, she thought, then she'd never leave this study, sorting through all her emotions and actions through ink. In lieu of the letter for Emma she opted on a singular item and a short sentence. Going to kitchen she picked it up. It's ironic and completely them. She placed the letter with the words "Henry" on the counter-top, then placed an apple next to it with a stick-it note simply reading, "goodbye Emma"

With that she entered her Mercedes and drove out of her beloved town filled with hatred for her. It seems that's how it'll always be, something she loves will always react the opposite to her, much like the push of magnets. She'll try, and try as she might the other will gravitate away forcibly and completely. Regina passed the welcome sign, she worked three weeks to get the barrier off. The citizens are now free to roam outside of Storybrooke. Though, she only worked tediously to set herself free.

As soon as Regina passed a throb filled her chest, gripping the steering wheel, she floored on.

Somewhere in the sleeping town, under the stars in a shabby apartment, a blonde haired woman shot up from her bed gasping. She threw her legs over the bed and held her chest. She made a small whimpering noise and held, and held, and held. Then it subsided. She sat taking deep breaths for a moment, then looked to the smaller sleeping form, Henry. Emma didn't know why or how but she knew, that something important has happened within their lives. Little did she know that by the time she knew, it'll be too late.

* * *

**Past**

It was subtle at first, it started with lingering looks, then it slowly formed into touches. The journey to Neverland was dreadfully long. Emma did much to keep the peace between…well...everyone. But no one more than Regina. In order for her to keep Regina at bay, she stayed near her. At first Regina would give her THE GLARE. The glare that said,"please-go-away-you-trepid-little-uncultured-blonde-I-hate-you." And so much more.

But Emma stayed. She stayed close to the brunette, even went as far as to share a room with her. They had bunk beds and Regina said she wanted the top. It really didn't bother Emma, it only bothered her when Regina made snide comments such as," I never go on bottom."

Then it had Emma thinking, taking it as a challenge. She often pushed it away to focus on saving Henry. Some days were spent giving Regina looks, looks that said, "please-don't-murder-them-we-need-them."

So Regina retaliated from whatever insult she gave Snow. Soon that turned into a few nudges from Emma. Then the nudge turned into a hand on her back, or Emma's hand brushing across the short-tempered woman's shoulder.

After a couple more days, Regina had gone through strenuous magic to speed up the process, Rumple merely sat upon a post and told her it's no good, that they'll get there when they get there. Regina never listened. So as she overextended her magic coursing through her body she leaned too far backwards, a pair of hands always slightly touched her back. Regina straightened herself but always she had a difficult time walking, she tried as highly as she could, to walk normally. Though Emma grabbed her and took her weight, at first Regina hated the idea of weakness showing by this gesture it eventually turned to a sigh from Regina while she relented to Emma leading her down to their room. Then sat her down on her bunk, Regina rebuked by trying to stand up. Only to quickly lose balance as the boat leaned far too much, then it happened… With a lean and an exhausted state, Regina stumbled into Emma's lap.

In all circumstances Emma should've pushed, she should've gotten up and enjoyed the way the royal woman would've fallen on her ass and used THE GLARE at her again.

She didn't.

Maybe it was the emptiness swallowing her whole being without Henry. Or maybe it was the few days of playing Gandhi among enemies and family. Maybe it was Regina's humph and oomph as she fell, landing on a pair of legs, and her cheek brushed pass Emma's, making the savior slightly lean into soft skin. Maybe it was loneliness.

Whatever it was Emma didn't do anything, she merely wrapped her arms around the other woman's waist and said, "Stop."

Regina did her glare and humphed again, but Emma held on, it felt nice. To hold someone again, to feel something that's solid but contradicting with soft skin.

"Ms. Swan. I don't-"

"Please, I just need something."

Emma knew that was a pathetic way to say, "I'm so tired of everything."

She expected Regina to push again, or thrash and pout. She readied herself and greedily took whatever warmth she had now. Though the next move surprised her, Regina huffed then took a deep breath and sighed before leaning back. As if Emma were a chair. What Emma didn't know was that Regina was tired too, she couldn't be on a ship with Snow and Charming long enough to not feel the need to criticize everything. Emma didn't know Regina didn't sleep because she was worried about Henry. Emma didn't know anything but the fact that right at that moment, the ever tense woman relaxed. She laid her head in the curve between Emma's neck and shoulder and looked at the patterns of wood on the ceiling.

Regina was exhausted from everything. More so than Emma, but of course, the woman who held her, didn't know nor understood. Even so, Emma held her and rested her chin on the slender shoulder of Regina. They spent more days like this, they'd come down here after Regina had used her magic to speed them again, and Emma would sit, then Regina would follow. Milky skin would wrap around caramel brown and they'd sit.

No words were ever spoken during this time. It wasn't needed, for their actions spoke tidal waves of need. Soon sitting turned to sleeping. One day they sat too long like that and Regina closed her eyes before she could get up and make her way to the second bunk. Emma leaned against the wall, and somehow they found each other under the covers and holding one another in their sleep.

They never spoke of this, how looks turned to sleeping by one another. In fact, once they awoke, it was back to snide comments and Emma's stern form between them, the queen and her rivals.

Perhaps if they spoke of it, they would've known the growing bond between them, the silent understanding that's been there since Emma's touch had sent a hat spiraling to a new world.

* * *

**Present**

Somewhere in a Boston café a woman with short brunette hair, a pen, and a journal, sat. She drank caramel coffee and had sliced apples in front of her. She leafed through the pages and bit into a slice. She looked at the list of cities and towns and festivals. She drank the coffee and put the journal down feeling waves of nostalgia.

Henry and she had made a bucket list of places to go within the tiny grey journal. First place was, ironically, Boston. She placed a red check besides the lettering. A grimace formed itself upon the former queens' visage. Henry had already been here…_without_ her.

"He'd started the journey already," she thought. A pang of guilt spread through her torso and suddenly, the slices of her red apples and caramel vanilla coffee didn't seem appealing.

She pulled out another journal, this one bigger and a dark purple it almost looked blue.

She turned to the first page.

_Dear Henry,_

_I'm in Boston. Do you remember our travel pact? Well I suppose with my small fortune I've accumulated over the past twenty-eight years, it could be done. First stop, Boston. Though you've already been here. It has me wondering if you've passed this café shop, perhaps you didn't even notice. Your nose must have been buried in maps and your book. Never the less, I'm here. There's a variety amount of people here. Not unlike Storybrooke at all. There's a woman with perhaps ten more piercings than is required. But I suppose it's her choice. Then a man who seems to look a bit like Leroy, but tall; obviously. Though he seems nice, seeing as he always smiles at customers. Let me take back my last comment, this man isn't at all like Leroy._

_Anyway, I figured I'd write about my journey. So that, in a way, we'd do this together, as promised. Even if you never do read these accounts, I'll still do this, and one day, maybe, I'll send this to you, and we'll have these memories._

_Love mom._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer : any characters or recognizable characters belong to Once Upon A Time, I'm merely borrowing them to dance to my own will.**

**AN: thank you all for the reviews! They made my week. Well I'm going back to work and I have many boring tasks to get done. So here's the next chapter and I won't be able to post anything until next week, but fear not! I will write while I'm away. Thank you again :)**

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_Dear Henry,_

_Realizing your evil isn't quite as surprising as it may sound. It's sort of like remembering you left cupcakes in the oven and as you take it out, you leave the gas on. So then you curse yourself and stomp your foot. Very well much looking evil and frustrated, although now one knows what for. So they simply slap a title on you. Whether it be, "whiny brat," "hormonal bitch," and even, "**evil queen**."_

_Did you know some people wouldn't even consider themselves, "evil"?_

_Well I didn't until I put myself into the situation with others. I always thought everyone was gray and not pragmatically white and black. The citizens of Storybrooke would have quite a debate about that. Whether or not if I'm truly evil. Despite how they treated me, I wonder, in this coffee shop in Hartford, how everyone is. Is Ruby still dressing irregularly to code? Is ol' granny still yelling at her? I know it's only been a week not much will have changed, but I do wonder. Change, you see my love, is tangible and quick._

_But mostly my little prince, I wonder about you. If you've noticed my absence yet. I still battle the urge to go back and throw myself into your (perhaps, maybe, no?) awaiting arms. Or maybe you're sitting at that god awful thing that Snow says is a table, eating (hopefully) spinach and nicely cooked meat. With, I suppose, a cookie. I'm still worried about your eating habits._

_Hartford, is well... Quaint. It's huge, I've walked around, always bumping into people. I found a pond shop, unlike Rumples, because the owner was simply too nice and accommodating, that sells older cameras. I cannot remember the name, but it was filled with the smell of film and dust and clean carpets. I suppose that's what compelled me further into the shop, the clean smell it provided._

_And there it was._

_A 2002 Polaroid camera. Complete with sets of film and a flash. I remember owning one and taking millions of pictures of you. Remember that? Sitting on the hill above Storybrooke and taking pictures. You'd laugh and say," I want to take one momma."_

_I'd say, "of course."_

_And hand you the camera, your tiny fingers struggled for a moment, then you'd snap a shot too quickly of the sea. So quickly that the picture comes out oneiric from the waves and fulgent lighting._

_You would be upset because you couldn't do it right, and sit there pouting. You always did have a proclivity to be upset to the best of your abilities. I suppose that's why you clung so adamantly to me being the evil queen__._

_Anyway, I then told you, "see how wonderful you are? You're creating new and spiraling lands with a camera!"_

_Your visage of a child with chubby cheeks and a wide grin, would practically glow as you said, "yeah!"_

_I bought it. And the film too. I'm going to create my own lands Henry. Lands that exist but through my view with this camera. I'll tape it within this journal._

_Love mom_

She snapped a shot of Jojos coffee and tea shop.

Then she looked over and saw a woman with bright purple hair walking her way.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes?" Regina straightened and handled herself with aplomb-as opposed to this violet haired woman with sagging shoulders.

"Are you the one selling the Mercedes Benz? The man at the shop told me to talk to you." She looked sheepish and young.

Regina analogized this woman to be a late adolescent and tried loosening her poise, "oh, yes. I am."

She gave her best mayoral smile, looking ever as regal in slacks and her long black jacket.

The woman with purple hair held out her hand and smiles almost genuinely, "well,"

She speaks with an accent, Regina finally noticed.

A southern accent, "my names Lucinda," her hand hung in the air as Regina fought the urge to cringe.

Lucinda kept her hand out until, reluctantly, she grasped this strange woman's hand, "Regina."

_Dear Henry,_

_I met a purple haired woman named Lucinda. She was rather nice. Buying me a cup of coffee at Jojos, while discussing buying the Benz. I felt that, if perhaps, you and Emma were looking (fools dream), you'd try to track it down. So Lucinda, she's so enthusiastic I might add, much too happy for her own sake... She jabbered on why she wanted it quite covetously._

_I began to grow an animosity towards her, her stupid purple hair and glowing blue eyes clashing with a dark green jacket masking a bright orange shirt. I felt stuck in a horrid scene of a child's painting. A child that has recently discovered colors and how they mash together amusingly._

_"Ah! I'd love love LOVE to drive out in the open road and-"__I must have trekked off deep into the cerebellum of my brain, because then I don't remember much else she said. We spent the afternoon trading off my car for cash up front from her. It was quite simple._

_Although once that was finished, I quickly hopped on a bus. Both (if you're looking) you and Emma would pick up on the sale soon enough. My identity here is still in place, Regina Mills, former mayor of a small town. Next stop, New Haven._

_There's so many stops to go before I can get to any of our destinations. That is, without raising any clues as to my where-abouts, and taking a plane is much too risky, you'd find out faster than I could land._

_Love mom._

_P.S. - I never thought I'd take a bus. There's not much people here, BUT there is annoying people. It's like all the annoying people within walking distance of the bus station decided to go on this one bus. Some woman takes singing along to radio much too seriously. Forgive me Henry, I may have been rude. Here is our conversation._

_"Excuse me," I said._

_"Yes?" She replied in a voice much too perky and high._

_"Who sings this song?" I offer a smile._

_"Well Taylor Swift." She smiles and turns her head, she says this in a "duh" voice. As if I should already know._

_That only provoked my intention further, "well let's keep it that way."_

* * *

**Past**

She could hear it. The cries and wails of resentful children on the island. The others didn't seem bothered, so she never said anything nor gave indication she could hear them. Their pain. Regina wondered if Henry was a part of the Neverland magic that cried for help.

_No_.

Not Henry. Not her little prince. He held gumption dogma firmly in his delicate head. He believes her and Emma will save him. And Regina let the crying lost boys' voices echo in her head as a lullaby.

"Regina?"

_Of course_.

Sighing she lifted herself up scrunching her face in disdain, "what is it Ms. Swan?"

"Well..." She wanted to mention him, Peter Pan

"Can I sleep by you?" Well that didn't go quite as planned.

"What?"

"Sleep." Then seemingly as an afterthought, "with you? I mean just as...friends? Well, no. I just... Can't sleep. Not here."

Regina bit the insides of her cheek, "come along Ms. Swan..."

She laid down and motioned for the blonde to do the same.

Emmas arms wound and coiled around Regina's waist,"Ms...Emma?"

She said it more firmly, as if to say, "no-We're-not-supposed-to-do-that-It's-not-allowed-In-the-cabin-on-the-ship-it-was-okay-Not-here." Into one word, her name. She said it as a warning, "Emma..."

But Emma held, "it's kind of romantic, dontcha think? There's the ocean and trees so thick you can't see the stairs? No pesky night-light."

She smiled against Regina's neck, and the brunette stiffened, "we're not honeymooning at an auberge."

Emma grinned and Regina felt it against her skin, "you always say such interesting things..."

Regina shifted so she's face to face with Emma, "no Ms. Swan."

But Emma was always obstreperous, so she closed her eyes and let out a content sigh, "thank you Regina."

She meant for letting her sleep by her, but Regina felt it may mean so much more-either way, she scooted up, and let Emma place her head in the crook where her chest met her neck. They fit like a puzzle.

* * *

**Present**

It's been about a week.

A week and Emma walks through the dilapidated apartment. Hearing the creaks of the floorboard underneath her boots. Henry bounded down the stairs.

"Hey Emma?"

Emma looked up from her stupor, "hmm?"

"Can we go by my mom's? I-erm...I just need more clothes."

"Oh! Yeah, sure. When?" Emma tried hard not to sound too jumpy or excited, she hasn't seen _her_ in a while.

In fact, her stomach did small tumbles as she thought of the radiant brunette woman with caramel eyes that held secrets.

Henry shrugged and gave little thought as he reached the floor beneath the last stair, "today? Or now. Now would be preferable. I kinda need it for the new season of school. Mom said she bought me new clothes. Something about...lanky legs?"

Emma smiled, "yeah, you are getting pretty lanky..."

Henry snorted, "not until I can reach the cereal above the fridge."

"Common." They both donned their jackets and bounced down the stairs to the yellow buggy.

Although both won't admit, they've missed her; Regina. Henry, for the reason that she's his mother. Emma, well...that's a bit more complicated.

"So how's everything with Neal?"

"It's great!" Henry's aureole visage seemed to seep and turn inward into Emma's growing invidious feelings towards Neal.

She's starting to understand why Regina had done the things she's done. The green monster in the pit of Emma's stomach, told her Neal didn't deserve half the affection Henry had shown him. But she supposes it's only right. If Regina can give Henry room for a week, then perhaps she can too while he bonds with his dad.

As they pulled up to the mansion, it struck an invisible chord. Something was off. Entirely too off. It was quiet. Not the someone-is-here-but-refuses-to-answer-the-door-so-the-son-has-to-frustratingly-search-for-the-spare-keys-in-the-bushes-quiet. But rather a stagnant quiet that bounces off in waves of silence.

Ignorance is bliss, right? Well as Emma and Henry walked through the foyer, footsteps reverberating off the polished wood, Emma asked, "Henry? How long has it been since Regina talked to you?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or recognizable characters, all credit belongs to Once Upon A Time. I'm merely borrowing them to dance to my own will.**

**AN: you guys are all brilliant. Remember that as I write because I now write for you. Thank you. Also I suggest listening to "Fairy Dance" by James Newton Howard while reading Regina's journal entry.**

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_Dear Henry,_

_Everyone always assumes a land without magic means simply, no magic once you get there._

_No. It's much crueler._

_This land, without magic, gives you hope only to take it away._

_Once you arrive you can still twist the trees and make the leaves dance upon them, create light where there is none, flourish a myriad of colors through your hands. It's blissful and of course, magical. But, in the land without magic, it takes, it sucks the magic away. Slowly, one by one, the magic dwindles within you. One day the colors fly and dance with the leaves in the wind, the magical music fueling their twists and swirls. The next only the leaves can dance. Then only the music can play. Then another, the trees cannot bend to your will, the sky no longer looks the bright blue but rather a dull hue._

_Because you see, a land without magic, drowns you._

_I'm sitting here on a bus, leaving New Haven. I didn't linger there long. I'm looking at my hand, my music is dwindling. Sitting in the far back, where it smells of mildew and dust from lack of air, my magic twirls, and the purple dances. It's rhythmic, harmonic to only my ears, and most of all, it's me. I wish people could see this side of magic. The purple is creating shades of its own color forming two figures that look much like two women dancing, bowing to each other, and I wish you could see it. Magic poured and left me long before I could show you. Then suddenly, it came back, and you didn't trust me, nor magic. Everyone's so quick to dampen the mystical form that exists within us sorceresses and wizards. They never take the time to see beauty as they do with nature._

_Oh yes, Henry. Nature is magic. I can feel it. Even in the land without magic. It's subtle and quiet. It's the timid reading child in a room full of laughing playing children. So no one can perform any of their own, nor take any from the land._

_It's almost gone Henry. The musician part just left. A small part of me is frighten. But I've lived about as long without magic as I once did with._

_There's a song on, the magic is dancing to it. Like the two forms are a part of a cotillion. I asked someone in front what the song is, "I'll follow you into the dark"_

_I'm writing as I watch my magic flurry. The music of my own is gone, so the radio will have to suffice for now._

_Did you know all is not affected by this land? The land without magic? There are few, I've pinpointed them throughout history. Beethoven, he could hear it, his own magical music, his deep inner self, but that's all. All great musical artist could hear it Henry, the magic within. Then there are those who could see it, they call it a, "disorder."_

_I remember frowning when I first discovered it, "synesthesia." A neurological condition. No, those who have this, **see**. They see the magic, much like I'm doing now. People like this are a rarity. Even back in the Enchanted Forest. In order to watch the magical dances, you must first,** trust**. You must trust magic._

_Some people, those who find it in themselves to "trust" find a serendipitous trait in learning. Those ones become the "good" magicians. Their quality to trust, battles the darker magic. Now, don't get me wrong my love, all magic is bad, even bright magic. All magic, comes with a price._

_I didn't see my magic dancing... Not until I came here. I trusted myself then, completely. That I could do anything and would, for myself. Then one day, I laid my body against the kitchens clean floor. (I may, or may not have slipped after mopping. Things were still new. Like polished floors.) Sighing from the pain I felt down my leg only to found I had twisted my ankle, I trusted myself to have enough magic to heal it._

_Then..._

_They swirled. Rumple never taught me how to see my magic. He knew if I did, I wouldn't have been fully taken by his dark magic. And it's true._

_I cried, because it was so beautiful. Like watching ballet players who performed flawlessly and emotionally. I was watching, a piece of myself within those forms. I could hear it then, I could hear my soul, clashing with the wanting for happy and the knowledge that I am not. I could hear my pain and contentment, and lastly, I could hear the wanting for a small piece of "love"._

_It was a pity. To see and hear magical potentials so late. It was gone before I could admire it with reverence._

_Anyway,_

_I liked Hartford. I suppose that's why I didn't linger long in New Haven. Merely stayed at a hotel and took a picture, for you, of the hallway. There's most interesting things, you're probably thinking._

_But no. This is where you're wrong my little prince. There's beauty everywhere, you just have to break the bonds this none magical land strings about your retina, and **see.  
**_

_This hallway displayed my magic, full bodily forms in a makeshift ball room, they danced along the hallway, jumped and their partner caught them and they spun. One with long hair, the other short, and they seemed bound together in this piece. Another pair, both with short hair, dancing softly, not erratically like the other two. This pair seems to move slowly and at ease, never letting one another go. A third pair, one had long hair and the other short, the shorter hair was tall. The tall form held the shorter one with long hair, they danced-forms disappearing and reappearing, like they wanted to entangle themselves into one another but an invisible force is separating them._

_The camera didn't capture it all. But enough. To show you, how breathtaking magic truly is. How I am not fully a monster as you may see me. Maybe by seeing this you'll understand, and deep down, this magic is me, those swirls are a silent performance of my life._

_Love mom_

Regina took one last picture of the tiny dancing purple forms on her lap. Once she clicked the stutter, the images then, slowly evaporated into the air. Leaving her feeling emptier than when she left Storybrooke.

"Goodbye," she said softly.

* * *

**Past**

It's getting colder here. Neverland has to be hot and humid-yet Regina could feel it. The frost seeping into her spine. This land, it doesn't like them, or is it Peter Pan? Either way, the adults are not welcomed. Regardless, Hook is leading them to someone she'd rather not see. Subtlety, quietly, Regina took lesser steps on the pretense of her feet hurting.

Snow had made a snide comment on evil feet and how it probably hurts from stomping on hearts. Regina thought about how gorgeously divine she would look in leather pants with red splayed everywhere. Then she battled it away with memories of her sons smile. She isn't the person to rip hearts without thinking of the repercussions anymore _but_ she'd do anything to get her son back. Even if it meant seeing the fairy whose life she involuntarily ruined. The comment about her feet hurting was actually frustratingly true, only, not from stomping on hearts, but rather… the ground. She stomped making herself known, her vexation that Henry's safety is resting on a pirate's sense of direction. A pirate that drinks rum every so often none-the-less.

So she stops, thankful no one notices. She looks down at her boot heels and curses the high standards drilled into the coils of her mind by her mother.

"Hey"

_Every __**single**__ time_.

"Hey"

* * *

**Present**

They sat in a room far in the corner of the house after finding the letter. He didn't want to read it in the kitchen. Emma couldn't place why. They stood there and Emma frustratingly bit into the apple.

_Stupid Regina_ Emma thought, and briefly wondered if perhaps, the former mayor went on a trip.

That's why no ones here. Maybe she went to the next town to get something. Something important that is. Nevermind the growing nerves that shouted to throw the apple and search.

There was no doubt in her mind that she would leave Henry permanently. With that she twisted the apple in her hand and looked out the window. Oblivious to Henrys' increasing panic as he read further and further into his mothers handwriting.

Henry's stomach seems to plummet and crash as he reads the last words his mom may ever say to him.

_Mommy loves you._

Suddenly his happily ever after is stained. And it's _her_. It's _her_ fault. He ran.

"Henry?" Emma's fingers brushed his shoulder but Henry shoved it off.

"Henry?!" She dashed, attempting to grab him again.

He leaned slightly in one direction only to dash the opposite. The blonde wasn't expecting it and hit a hidden low beam bar. Regina and Henry were planning an inane childish idea. The idea of a small door, which came from Henry's bibliophilic binge of, "The Hobbit," and The Lord of the Rings series.

She registered pain, forgetting momentarily that her son had just outwitted her embarrassingly. Dammit she was one of the greatest bail bonds personal! And an eleven year old _outsmarted_ her. Her! The savior! Well, he was raised by an evil queen. It's quite fitting.

1...

2...

3...

_**slam**_!

Her back straightened along with her myriad of thoughts clumped together of Henrys' ability to escape. Her eyes darted in the direction of the front door. _Henry._

"Kid!" Getting up and seeing spots are not good.

The apple with the one bite, had rolled under a sitting chair, then it sprouted legs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer : see chapter one**

**AN: SO... I want you all to take into account that this story has been in my head for MONTHS. Also I had this chapter written BEFORE the new episode. I just don't have any time nor the internet access to update as frequently as I want... :(**

**Thank you all once again for your reviews :) It's gladly appreciated and makes my week all the more better.**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_There's a butterfly room in one of the exhibits in the Smithsonian. It reminded me of the Enchanted Forest during spring. How there'll be a bountiful amount of butterflies, all displaying a different shade of the color wheel. Some would be bigger than the others, probably from a potion left in the open. Butterflies aren't as affected by magic as we mammals are. They seem to have a sort of aroma in their wings that protects them. They either shrink or grow for a while. From there I made my way to the Egyptian exhibit and learned of ancient pharaohs and queens. My favorite is the heretic queen, Nefertiti and the last one to ever rule Egypt, Cleopatra the seventh._

_I certainly hope, for your sake Henry, that you don't become an egotistical man with no respect for women. I've raised you better and hopefully the Charmings' single minded thinking won't rub off. Perhaps you'll be more like Emma and, hopefully, a blend of my better side. My side of crucial thinking and ability to keep everything on schedule. Don't be a charming. I wish I could be there to tell you that. A new motto to live by, "Don't be a Charming." Or maybe, "what would a Charming do?" Then do the opposite._

_Anyway, I've taken a great deal of pictures for you. My favorite is the butterflies. I'll tape them all within here._

_Love mom_

She sat there oblivious to the chatter and music. Looking over maps, a suit case occupying the seat next to hers. A small bag hung loosely on her shoulders. She had trimmed her hair, so it comes just past her ears brushing along her jawline.  
Her austere roving off in waves as her poster spoke means of no warmth.

She's made it to Washington. Henry always wanted to see the Museum. And so, she has. But she comes to this coffee shop every day.

She sat in Kramerbooks &amp; Afterwords Cafe, silently con-traversing with the many books and maps provided here, listening to, "I'll be seeing you," by Jimmy Durante playing via speakers above her. Although she didn't notice, a waitress watched the brunette woman and her maps. She would pass by and try to sneak a peek.

Regina never noticed, it's not like she has to keep guard during the day. Perhaps it's the peaceful nature this short trip has been scratching at her. Perhaps it's the citizens that don't glance twice with a grimace and a scrawl, but rather to admire the radiant corona that seems to follow her everywhere. Even so, she remained a highfalutin poise.

Until…

"Hello."

Regina looked up from her journal, letting one hand close journal and rest itself upon the leather cover.

With an exceptionally elevated nature her voice carried, she replied, "what?"

"Well most people say, 'hello'"

She smiles reverently soft as she speaks, "I'm Lily."

Her right hand shoots up as she stares at the woman before her.

Then Regina, ever the regal woman, raises an eyebrow as she eyes the younger person before her.

Lily keeps on smiling, holding her hand somewhat awkwardly in the air between them. Regina sees it then. She's seen that smile a thousand times in the mirror. Much like her mayoral smile, this woman's, is fake. Her smile is fake, but her tone. Well her tone seems much too friendly.

Regina regarded her much like a knight does a dragon, a riposte smile of her own, and dives in for the footwork sure to come. And by footwork, she means talking.

"Regina," she shakes her hand and Lily seems to lose the rigid posture.

As if that one gesture was too much, as if meeting someone new was a tedious task and she's overcome an obstacle. She sat and Regina bit her tongue to keep herself from telling this woman off. She was trying to be a better person. So they sat, evaluating each other. Lily was more polite about it, stealing glances she thought Regina wouldn't notice.

She noticed.

Regina, on the other hand, looked her up and down, in a more pompously grumptious matter. Quite befitting a formal queen who hasn't quite lost touch with the terms of, "rank and class."

Regina looked and examined Lily, the way her sandy colored hair is a few inches past her shoulder, how it tumbles like waves along a slender neck. Regina tried not to roll her eyes at the waitresses' bangs. How it covered her eyebrows, but it wasn't quite there. She didn't have much bangs, only enough to create a square almost symmetrical features. Her name tag read, "Lily." Her black shirt hug loosely around her waist. Regina couldn't see her legs, but she's sure, this woman is the type to wear faded jeans with nice flat shoes. Then her eyes, her eyes practically popped and glowed against the sun rays shining upon a light brown.

It was the Lily who spoke first, "so, are you planning a trip?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your maps," she pointed then sheepishly looked around," I mean people wouldn't have many maps unless there's a trip involved? Right?"

"Oh," Regina, ever so disdainful, replied, "no."

"Oh. Well… Okay. Umm..." She seemed disappointed.

It could have been the fact that Regina's found a sense of tranquility upon her journey. It could have been she's been deprived of human interaction besides the covetous purple haired woman. Whatever it was, Regina felt a twang of guilt. Perhaps she's lived too long in the evil queens' shadow she's left behind and it's time to come out to blink blindly against the light.

"What I mean is,"

Lily looked up from the maps, "yes?"

She seems so bouncy and bubbly Regina almost took back her semi-sentence.

Almost.

"No, what I mean, is that-_no_, I'm not planning, because I'm already on a trip. It's just, finding bus routes that have the grandest views are difficult. So no, not planning-simply remapping my course."

"That sounds interesting! I've always wanted to travel. Well I did, or was. Well-I mean-travel out of enjoyment." She scrunches her nose but then smiles at Regina.

For a moment the dark brunette falters. Her smile, well, it's almost genuine. As if revealing a small piece of herself was enough to break down a barrier between waitress and customer. But rather now, it's semi-acquaintances.

Then in an instance Regina found herself asking, "why aren't you traveling?"

"Well," it was her eyes, Regina seemed most attracted to.

It showed what her visage held back. The look in her eyes seem to shift like the sea. It's just one color far away, but up close you can see the small waves, the creatures and clumps of sand. But much like the ocean, it's murky, and not all is revealed.

"I traveled to the states surrounding this one out of enjoyment, then came back because of my financial problems." She looked away, as if realizing how much her eyes may show.

Regina seemed to understand, sometimes she'll look away from the fear of being revealed. Then sometimes she'd let those emotions crash into the other person and let them see, see how badly she's been affected. But Lily...well Regina could tell she was a gentle soul. Not a somber one like hers.

She had to get rid of her before she taints another soul, "perhaps you should've spent more time in school rather than a dunce fantasizing of California railway."

Lily's eyes changed then, and Regina recognized it. She's seen it before as well, the obstreperous nature reverberating once more. Perhaps she's always destined to find these type of people.

"Thank you."

She wasn't expecting that.

"What's in your journal?"

Nor that, "that's none of your business."

"What? The blue journal?"

"It's dark purple."

"Oh. Funny how some colors do that, have a color so dark it's almost something else. Sort of like people."

Regina...well she didn't quite know how to respond to that. She in fact just gripped the journal tighter, as if Henry may give her strength. She knew the world was full of odd people, but only a selected few has ever made her curiosity rise to a dangerous state. Much like Henry's proclivity to hate with his entire being. She has one for the fire shown in eyes.

"People? How are colors related to people?"

"Well you know, a person so dark and misunderstood, they're seen as something completely different than they already are. Like…for example... Frankenstein!" She seemed excited she came up with an example.

Regina then did something unladylike, she snorted, "Frankenstein is not a poorly misunderstood creature."

"Well, first off, miss high and mighty, he was. He was a 'monster'," she used finger quotations, "he was created and then, through pragmatic thinking of the small town villagers, was seen as 'evil'. The poor guy didn't even like fire."

Regina forgot there's more than just the doctor back in Storybrooke. He was once a person, in another world, in another place altogether, and did create a creature. She frowned. She wasn't used to feeling this...this... Empathetic? Not for Whale, but for _him_, the creature that had the unfortunate accident to come back from the dead.

"Perhaps," Regina added, "BUT, the person who created him WAS a type of monster."

"MAYBE," Lily spoke louder and the other woman felt insulted, "the doctor was just lonely."

"Lonely? _Oh_ is that what you think?"

Regina placed the journal carefully atop the maps, folding her hands neatly, fixing her posture, looking like the mayor behind the desk, and explained.

She explained the true story, of how Dr. Frankenstein was selfish. How he brought this monster back just to please one person. She didn't include him dying. Because, as she well knows, he's currently vacating a spot as a top medical practitioner in small town Storybrooke. He was punished. Even science has its price.

On the outside Lily seemed unfazed, but Regina could see it. In the corners of her irises, how intrigued she was.

Then she smiled again, showing a dimple Regina had not yet noticed, "Well it's hard to argue with that spectacular logic. Do you do spend much thinking about monsters and men? Or are you just one of those on the spot people?"

Regina grimaced slightly, not wanting the other woman to fully see how irritated she was, "perhaps I'm just well read."

Lily's smile was becoming a grain underneath Regina's skin, "I'd love to talk more, but it's been about thirty minutes. My breaks almost over."

She got up, and the other woman spoke her thoughts, "you spent your break with me?"

Lily was taking off her sweater, revealing her whole work attire. Regina knew she would wear light jeans. Gentle and light people seem to always pick the brighter side of the conundrum.

"Mystery stoic woman, maps, and a mysterious blue, _but_ really purple, journal, definitely."

Then she smiled again. A real smile. And Regina realized, it's rather pretty.

* * *

**Past**

"You need to focus Emma! Focus!"

Not even a sliver of smoke.

"Ugh! Useless waste of ability!" Regina threw her hands in the air from exasperation.

"Hey, I'm trying the best I can! It would help if you could be a little nicer."

"_Nicer_? **_Nicer_**?! Really Emma!? If I was nicer we'd still be in the Enchanted Forest and Henry wouldn't exist!"

Emma glowered and fire burned in the irises of her deep emerald eyes, "well I can't focus if you're hovering over me shouting!"

A crackle and smoke.

"Really?" Regina stepped closer, seeing the freckles on Emma's cheek.

"Really." Emma said stubbornly back.

"Look," Regina pointed downward and Emma's eyes widen as she saw the fire

"See, you have the potential." She smiled and that seemed to balm any irritation the blonde had for the brunette.

It was Mary Margaret who noticed Emma's now relaxed demeanor. The way the brunettes smile seemed to just calm her daughter. She wasn't sure if she should be worried or furious. In lieu, she simply half grinned and cheered their magical efforts. Even if she is in disagreement with this other use to get Henry. Perhaps she'll never fully understand the beauty of magic as others do. It's all evil to her.

* * *

**Present**

Henry ran faster than his legs were used to. If he could just focus, if he was fast enough, perhaps, he could catch up to her. Breathing erratic, he could hear her voice ricocheting back and forth in his mind.

_Mommy loves you._

_Mommy loves you._

_Mommy loves you._

His legs started to ache, he could feel his hearts _lub-dub_ pounding in his ears.

"Henry!"

Emma's voice broke the chain of chanting hearts.

He took a fraction of a second to look, just a fraction-

**THUMP**

"Henry!"

He had tripped over his own feet. He was a literature nerd. Not an athlete.

"Henry!" He saw blonde, her hair reflected against the sun rays, creating an aureole.

It accentuated her beauty and his stomach turned.

"No!" He pushed her as she helped him up, it wasn't enough to fully push her away and she held, still pulling him up.

She felt solid and-and...Well... WRONG.

She suddenly felt wrong and it _hurt_. It just hurt Henry. His chest constricted, pounding recalcitrantly in his chest.

_Mommy loves you._

They stood at the town line and his knees hit the asphalt. He suddenly couldn't stand. He felt too heavy. Too tired. The wet dirt scent from the forest around them carried through the wind, and he felt his eyes overflow. He couldn't see past the flood in his eyes. Blinking it cleared slightly. The roads waved and blended along the trees in his obscured vision. He thought, if he just stood there, she'll appear. Blurry vision would reveal her and she'll hug him. She'll try to get him to stay longer, and he'll say no. He'll say no because she's supposed to evil right? She can't love. He continued to reason looking for the _why_, just why she left him.

"Henry," despite her wanting to wrap him in her arms, despite her wanting to ask about the letter, she already knew, "what's wrong?"

"No!"

"Henry... Kid... Tell me what's wrong," she took a step forward, her leather smell becoming more intimate than before.

"She _loved_ me." To Emma, he sounded as if he's just come out of a reverie, or an epiphany.

"What? Henry-I don't-"

"SHE LOVED ME. Okay!? That's what she did wrong!"

"What? Regina? Of course she loves you... Wait. Wrong? Henry that isn't-" she reached.

"Shut up! Shut up!" Pushing against the gravitational pull of the earth to stand he felt heavier than before, was it his legs? When were they filled with lead?

"She loves me! She's not supposed to! She's not supposed to-...to... To love me." His voice became smaller with each word.

Everything was bigger. It felt encompassing, "She's supposed to be evil and we're supposed to beat her but she's not..."

Emma stood a few feet away, knowing full well what is wrong. But she has to confirm them. Just peel it off like a band aid right?

"She's not what?"

"Here... She's not here..."

That band aid was painful. Henry's dreadful ambience began twisting around her as well, "she's coming back right?"

Henry's look spoke waves of new annoyance. His look said, "would-I-be-here-right-now-if-she-was?!" He reminded Emma of Regina with that look.

Some things, she realized, can't be inherited simply by sharing the same genes. He was raised by her and seemed to have absorbed that look. And this look. And that other look. Looks that spoke indifference, annoyance, and even smiles. Her stomach tumbled as she thought of Regina.

"Right, sorry. Henry, please... Just... I'm sorry."

"We have to find her Emma." His shaggy hair shifted slightly as he began towards his other mother.

"We have to…"

Her heart felt like jagged pieces of mirrors filled with a brunettes imagine, embedding themselves within the blue and red veins pounding in her chest.

Yet, she embolden her answer, just for the boy before her, "of course. We'll find her, and we'll…we'll..."

Well she tried.

It felt like she couldn't muster enough will power to make it stop. The tears cascaded and burned the corners of her eyes. Then she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He didn't hug back and it hurt her. She briefly wondered if Regina felt this way when he never hugged her back. With that thought, her confidence came back.

"Then we'll never let her go again."

In a mansion, a forgotten apple began its transfiguration. Sprouting spider like legs. It stretched and scratched at where Emma had bitten it. As if it were an annoyance rather than a huge chuck of body missing. Sounds of an apple being split that no one can hear, filled the room as it shaped teeth. It bit into the sitting chairs leg, munching the wood as it grew bigger and bigger, the bite mark by Emma never leaving. A permanent reminder of who marked it. Then it began its work crawling along the floor like a spider; an apple spider with a bite mark.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer : see chapter one**

**AN : HELLO again :) sorry if there are spelling mistakes or misplaced commas (*whispers* autocorrect), it's just that, due to the no internet access or data on my phone or no computer... I have to write everything in my phones notes. Also, I only have a limited amount of time to update these... I could use a journal but my phones smaller and easier to carry around my busy life. Thank you all once again, you're truly wonderful!**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_I've been in Washington two weeks. There's so much to do here and so much to see. Sometimes I just walk around, then I sit at this café shop called, Kramerbooks &amp; Afterwords ._

_I miss you. So much._

_This journal is here to reassure me, urge me... That somewhere, perhaps, in a way. You're listening. Even if you're not._

_Love mom_

She watched her. The way she used her fake smile at the customers in the café. The way her hair tumbled and curled, a small pony tail in the back. And especially the way she interacted with her workers. She's so friendly, so light, so... Happy. Regina should leave. She should just get on that bus now and go where ever it takes her, and yet...

"Here again?"

Regina used her mayoral smile, "every day."

"Do you go anywhere else during the day?" Lily cleared the table next to Regina.

"Well I do have a life." Regina glanced back at her maps, a gesture meant to show rudeness, paying no attention at all.

As if Lily isn't important enough to share looks as they talked.

"So it's why you're here as well? No friends?"

Regina frowned at her maps, "don't need them."

"Huummm..." She hummed and Regina's irritation reacted a new high, "well okay Ms. Regina."

She flashed her fake smile and the person she directed it to was severely insulted, "goodbye Ms. Lily."

Then Regina watched again as Lily walked away helping others.

**TWO HOURS LATER**

"Whatcha reading?" Lily sat down in the chair opposite Regina.

She always finds small ways to annoy her. Whether it be her fake smile or simply introducing herself to Regina's presence.

She sighed and put her book down and took off her reading glasses. She gets bored with the constant maps. Sometimes she'll just pick a book and read. This one...this one reminded her of Henry.

"The Looking Glass Wars," she lazily eyes the other woman.

"Didn't take you the type to read something so..." Her face crunched as she thought about the next words.

"Childish? Simplistic to read?" Regina tried finishing, saying the first words that occurred when she first picked up the book.

"Magical."

The brunettes eyes narrowed as silence wound its way through the space between them.

Lily spoke first," I mean, you just seem like the type to read the kind of books that have little to no space between sentences, and large chapters, and the book it's like, thick _thick_. Or a disquisition!"

She seemed so childish and light, Regina felt like making vomiting noises, "well it seems I'm a blue journal from afar."

Lily smiled her real smile as she handed a bag to Regina.

She had not noticed this, "what's this?"

"Food. I asked the waitresses that usually serves you. She said you never eat. Just coffee. I didn't know what you liked, so I just...tried to tell by your looks. But now I'm having second thoughts Ms. Blue, but really purple journal."

Regina opened it and inside was a club sandwich, salad, French Fries, and a brownie.

"I ate before I came here," she pushed aside the white-to-go box filled to brim with those foods.

She ignored the growl and scratching hunger in her stomach. There was no way she was going to give into this gruntled waitress.

"Suite yourself," she took a fry.

As soon as she took a bite she made a bumptious moaning sound, and tapped the table,"sooo good."

Regina, despite herself, broke the side corners of her plump lips, into a side grin.

She finished her one fry," I just thought you'd be hungry, because every time I passed I heard a gurgling noise, much like a stomach talking."

Her side grin faded quickly.

"Goodbye Ms. Blue journal." With a fake smile she was gone.

That evening, Regina took her maps, books, and reluctantly her food to her hotel room.

She ate every bite, saving the brownie last, and lingered in the orgasmic taste only sweets can offer.

_That damn waitress._

* * *

**Past**

She saw it. Immediately wishing she hadn't, wishing she could turn back time to their time laying side by side at night. Her stomach turned in disgusted and turmoil.

Emma had kissed Hook.

She brushed past the Charmings, Snow yelled something like, "hey!"

Regina didn't exactly feel up to an argument. Everything was a mess. Henry isn't in her arms, they haven't found Tinker Bell, they've gone nowhere but a few steps. Then there's Emma. What did she expect? She's the savior, and Regina's the evil queen. Her magic was flowing off her in an invidious scent affecting those around her. Everyone was beginning to become cranky. Although, everyone seems to think the cause of that animosity and impatience, is due to fact that... THEY'RE NO WHERE NEAR CLOSE TO SAVING HENRY.

"Operation Henry is becoming a bust," Regina grumbled to herself, therefore didn't see the streak of blonde plopping herself down besides the brunette on the log.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

_Great, just perfect._

"Not now Ms. Swan."

Emma grimaced, "are we back to that now? Hey, I know it's hard, it's been a few days and we don't have Henry, but we'll get there okay?"

Her light hands wrapped around Regina's shoulders. For a moment Regina softened, then she remembered.

"Get off me!" She got up, and the Charmings and Hook directed their attention to the two women.

"Don't you ever touch me again Ms. Swan."

"What? Regina I don't understand, what happened?"

Regina took a quick evaluation of the specter they've become, "I'm leaving."

"Wait...," it took a second longer to realize her words as the brunette stomped into the leaves, "Regina wait..."

She tried grabbing her before she disappeared into the leaves. It seems she'll always miss Regina by mere inches.

"Emma!" Snow called after her daughter.

Then seemingly as an afterthought, "Regina!"

"I'll get her," Hook followed after, much to David's disdain.

It doesn't matter if a pirate has saved your life, the one you were willing to risk anyway. What mattered much more, to a father, was the live and love of his daughter. A pirate a couple hundred years older, with a serious drinking problem, does not fit the category of, "worthy."

"I'll go with you," David grabbed Hooks arm to stop him, so he could go first.

Snow bounced on her toes and said, "I'm coming too," she brushed past Hook.

Much, like their take on magic, much like their ever true love, both Charmings will always share one opinion. Simply for the reason that they are one, they're in love, and of course when two people are that in love, their opinions are much rather the same. Simply due to the fact that they've already had so many indifferent takes on situations before, so many non-compromises, but now they trust each other completely. The steaming brunette pushed past the leaves, and Emma gratuitously followed. Regina quicken her pace, bending and binding the leaves and branches behind her with her magic.

"Dammit Regina!" Emma pushed past the twisting leaves, grumbling, "stupid goddamn magic."

She could still hear Emma, maybe she should disappear in a purple smoke. That's too dangerous, she doesn't know her way around this island. And it's getting colder. She needs-

**Bump!**

Regina took a few steps backward, rubbing her nose. Did she just run into a tree?

She looked up and her visage turned dark as a familiar face blew poppies directly at her. Regina's vision blackened as the last thing she heard was, "dammit Regina, come back!"

* * *

**Present**

"Fuck!" Emma slammed her fist against the desk in the sheriff's office,"ugghh..."

Her head hit the desk and she slumped further into it. Finding Regina was becoming wearisome. The woman didn't leave a trace of her tracks besides the note Henry has.

"So I'm guessing no luck?" She looked up at her eleven-year old son.

"Henry... I didn't know you were here..." She sulked wondering if he'd seen, "did you-? See?"

Henry shrugged, "we all get angry. I didn't find anything either."

He sat down in the chair facing the desk, biting into a sandwich, "maybe we should go back to the house? Maybe we missed something."

Emma thought about it, "yeah. Maybe we should. That's a great idea Henry."

Encouraging children she found, is the best way to go around things. It was also the best way to get Henry to smile now. It's been a few days, and neither has even stepped towards the mansion. As for Henry, well he's been too lost within his thoughts to even say, "hello."

"Let's go now, best to keep Operation Apple Tree on the go" Henry packed away his lunch, and wound the bag around his shoulders.

Emma groaned but followed. Sometimes he's as proactive as his other mother. Never really eating, nor sleeping when there's an important task that needs to done.

When they got to the police car, Emma locked the doors," I want you to eat first, okay?"

"We can't waste any time Emma!" He seemed crestfallen and annoyed.

"Henry, you HAVE to eat. You didn't want breakfast, you didn't want lunch, you didn't even want Mary Margaret's meatloaf at dinner."

Henry's face contorted," I don't like meatloaf..."

_Oh._ Emma thought.

"Well eat now. It's six o'clock, and when we find Regina, she's going to enact a new curse if she finds out you didn't eat."

"Fine." Henry took out his club sandwich again and ate.

He didn't know that hours away, in a hotel room. His mother ate the same thing. If he did, perhaps he'd think it fate. Perhaps he'd know that his mother and him, are closer than he thinks. Like mother, like son.

As he drank the ice tea given to him by Ruby before he left the dinner, a scream was heard.

"Stay here," Emma squeezed Henry's shoulder, before stepping out.

Some things, like a recalcitrant nature, slip and pass through genes. So as Emma ran to the Main Street where the screams are coming from, Henry silently followed.

* * *

**AN : Just because I always thought Emma would never be a great as a parent as most fics and the show has provided. She's been alone most of her life, and I think, if Regina ever left, Emma would expect Henry to do just as she says. She'd probably expect him to be more...like her, but the kid was raised by Regina. However, I do expect, with time, she'll be fantastic. She just has to learn. Another thing I would like to point out is, how many of you have realized how different you are from other people and how similar you are to people who have raised you? Much like when children are raised by someone other than their parents. I think, Henry would probably harbor traits from Regina, as she was the only family member he's had all his life until Emma. Anyway, it was just a thought.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer : see chapter one.**

**AN : Thank you all once again.**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_You shouldn't judge things you don't understand._

_Love mom_

In truth, Regina had been nostalgic since she walked out of her hotel. A little boy, around the age of four ran into her legs at full speed. Regina unceremoniously cringed and grabbed the side of the door.

"Hey!" She looked at him and immediately her acerbic voice vanished by her motherly side.

His lip jutted out and he whimpered. His long blonde hair barely covering his light blue eyes.

"_Oh_. Oh I'm sorry sweetie," she knelt on the sidewalk.

"I'm...I'm sorry…" He was small and Regina emboldened her face.

Sometimes children needed to see a brave face to calm down, "no, it's okay, are you okay?"

He nodded, this time she carefully, as if reacting for a wild animal, brushed her fingers lightly along his cheek, "it looks like you hit my belt."

A bright red mark stood on his cheekbone, bright red shone brightly against the morning sun.

"Where's your parents dear?"

He relented to her touch and leaned his small round cheek against her palm, and lightly shrugged.

"You mean you're alone?"

A nod.

Regina sighed, "well how about this... Let me clean that for you inside okay?"

He took a step back, "daddy said not to talk to strangers."

Regina felt a familiar pang in her chest from his movement away. She needed a way to actuate this boy. Looking she saw no one frantically looking for him. _How some parents can lose their child is_\- she stopped that thought. Henry once ran away.

"I'm Regina," she held her hand out.

His right hand was holding his injured cheek, trying to ease some of the pain. His face looked dirty and smeared with tears, "Michael," he shook with his left.

"Michael... What a lovely name," she smiled softly, "listen Michael, in there," she pointed to her hotel, "there are cameras, and lots of people, I'm just going to sit you down in the lobby, and clean that nasty cut, okay?"

She spoke softly and clearly, in a tone only mothers can accomplish. He still looked uncertain.

"And then we'll take you to the police station okay? It's right down the block. I promise you, I just want to help."

"Umm..." He still had the babyish tone to his voice, and Regina nearly swooned at it.

She remembered when Henry had been so small and so sweet, and nostalgia swelled and twisted around her heart like vines.

"Okay." It was soft, if she wasn't paying attention to him, she might have missed it.

"Let's go," she stood and held out her hand for his left to grab.

He did.

In the end, once she gave him ice cream and began to tend to his wound, he started taking quite animatedly. He talked about flowers, colors, and especially her hair. Regina thought that was weird. He liked touching her hair, claiming it was soft like his blankets. He giggled when she made faces and noises to calm him as she put alcohol to his cut.

"All done!"

"Really?!" He touched his cheek and his smile nearly burst off his face.

His gaiety ambiance drifted to her, and his smile seemed to dull the pain that sat in her chest.

"Common, let's go now."

"No." He sat there, thumping his feet against the couch, "he's coming."

"Who?" Regina felt a baleful auspicious hint in his voice.

"Michael!" She spun at a deeper voice and saw him.

A frown crept into her lips, he looked like the younger boy behind her. He must be the father. With the same blue eyes but his hair was bright brunette and shaggy all the same as Michael's, he looked awfully young, perhaps a couple of years past his adolescence.

A young parent, of course he lost Michael.

"Michael there you are," he ran past her and knelt besides the boy.

Michael's' face lit like a bauble against Christmas lights, "dad!"

"And you must be the father," Regina's voice harbored along dangerous and deep.

"Oh, um…actually," he stumped along his words and Regina felt invidious.

"Listen here, I don't want to find Michael abandoned again okay? Or next time I'm going to the police. I am not a babysitting service." She was close to him, almost nose to nose, deeply highfalutin, making him nervous and small, despite her height.

"That's Regina," Michael said proudly, "she fixed it," he pointed at his Band-Aid.

"Oh did she?" He knelt so he's face to face with the smaller boy, "that's great buddy..."

He ran his hands along Michael's hair, "thank you."

He looked somber but his voice spoke in a way that let Regina know he's grateful.

"I'm John," he held his hand out.

Regina sneered at it, as if it were trash.

"She also got ice cream," he showed John his vanilla cone.

"I can see that, is it good?" John smiled at him.

"Mm-hmm." He nodded fervently.

Regina's visage softened at Michael's hair bobbing back and forth, "Michael, sweetie?"

John seemed stuck by her soft voice, she knelt besides John and ignored his look,"I have to go now."

Michael's eyes then showed sadness and Regina felt guilt bloom in her chest, "you don't have to, right dad?"

John shrugged, "the nice woman probably has stuff to do. Right Regina?"

He looked at her expectantly, "actually...no," that smile of the boys returned, the smile that softened her heart and dulled the metaphorical knife caught there.

_Dear Henry,_

_I met a little boy today. His name is Michael. He has floppy blonde hair and oneiric ocean eyes. We spent the day together, him and me...and his... John. His brother. Some people Henry, aren't always as they seem. Empathy found purchase in my stomach as John and I talked. Some people Henry... Don't have parents. They only have brothers or sisters. I wish this a lesson you could learn. Probably now, maybe later. I hope you understand, not all people find the ones they love._

_Love mom_

"So, how'd you end up in Washington D.C. If you live in Maine?"

Regina sniffed her nose pointedly ahead, "travels."

Brief and short is all she provided with John, "Regina look!"

Michael pointed at an Abraham Lincoln imposter, posing for the theater.

Regina picked him up and held him against her hips, a move John didn't mind much, "yes it is Michael, we're going to see where he..."

John included himself, "spent his last moments. Thank Regina now, she's taking us out and about."

"Thank you," Michael gave her a kiss on the cheek, and Regina could feel her heart breaking and mending itself at the same time.

They were escorted out of the theater due to Michael's loud applause and shouting. But it was okay, she took them to the aquarium nearby. Michael laughed and giggled at the various fish. Regina took one photo of him. Hours later they ate in a nice pizza place; Michael laid limply in her arms, as they took the metro to the boys' apartment.

"He seems to really like you," John's voice pierced her harmonious mood.

"Hush John, I'm actually happy."

"Haha I'm sorry. Um... I just... I wanted you to know that I'm not Michael's father."

Regina looked away from Michael's form, "what?"

"Michael's my brother. He just calls me dad, because it's easier for him."

Regina pointy looks away, feeling that guilt once again take residence in her.

"Although lately Michael, has asked who his mother is, usually I tell him I'm Athena, and he sprouted from my head."

Regina smirked at that, feeling another wave of nostalgia.

"See this scar right here," he pointed to a scar on the left side of his head that Regina had constantly looked at throughout the day.

"My parents were taking Michael to a movie when a drunk driver hit them. He was only two. I was in college at the time. So..."

Regina's chest constricted again.

"When I got home, my parents had passed Michael to me."

"How old were you?"

"Oh um... Twenty. I'm twenty-two now."

Barely beginning Regina thought.

"Don't you have any other family members?"

"Well, yeah we do. Our aunt, but she's…well she's in a hospital herself for schizophrenia."

Regina looked at Michael and wondered how much he'd seen in his young life, "but it's okay," Johns hand came into her vision as he rested his hand on Michael's back.

She followed his arm to his face and saw him, really saw him. He looked tired, "did you finish school?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of? That's not an answer."

"Well I'm trying, online, it was kinda difficult to go and keep up with a two-year olds' demands."

Regina frowned, "how did you manage?"

"My grandparents, before they died, they left half their fortune to my mom, and the other half to her sister, who's using hers for hospital treatments," he frowned.

"Well must make things easier."

"It does, but I still have a job. That's how I lost Michael today, our sitter dropped him off, and he usually colors within my sight, but I had to unload a couple of boxes before I left. By the time I came back he was gone. I was so thankful when the bellman told me a woman with a boy walked into the hotel. Well.. Not really, some nasty thoughts entered my mind."

He said it all in a huff that Regina had to interrupt, "well I'm glad Michael's okay. If you have so much money why are you working?"

"Michael has to go to college one day too, and I'm sure our small fortune won't last that long to pay for everything." She stared at him, Johns side grin, his shaggy hair, and bright blue eyes, he looked so soft and light.

Another gentle soul.

"This is our stop, would you like to come with? We have a nice apartment," he sounded so nice and young, and Regina...well she couldn't, no, wouldn't taint this soul one bit.

"I should be getting back."

They exited and she carefully handed Michael to his brother, "but thank you, for today."

"What? Oh, **no**! No, no, no, thank you very much. Michael never makes any friends. But he made a rather pretty one today," his side grin was back and it reminded her of Emma.

"No, I should-"

"What are you doing tomorrow? I'm off and Michael and I would love to repay the favor for today. We've felt more spoiled than when our parents were here."

He seemed so hopeful, "no, it's, I'm leaving tomorrow."

His face fell, "oh, I'm sorry, here let me just-"

He tried reaching into his pockets and Regina touched his hand. He froze and looked at her.

"No," softly she spoke, "no, please, it was my pleasure, thank you."

The metro back to her street was heading their way, "John?"

"Yeah?" He still stood there, imprinting every crevice, every molecule of Regina.

"Remember when you said you were Athena?"

"Yes. How can I? It happened a few moments ago. Well, it seemed like a few moments ago." Another side grin working its way into Regina's hippocampus .

She'll never forget these two.

The metro came, the doors opened and Regina took a step inside, "well, when I had a son, I used to tell him the exact same thing."

Then the doors closed and John stood there stunned, "wait!"

The metro sped off and he was left wondering about the pretense of, "had a son."

The next morning will find Michael bobbing up and down while John made pancakes, forever wondering what happened to the nice woman who patched his wound. Regina will never see them for the rest of her journey through Washington D.C.

* * *

**Past**

_Fusty._

That was the first word that came to mind, how fusty it was. How the walls repugnant leafy and dirt smell wafted around her. How the floor beneath her felt utterly cold and her limps, her limps felt cramped and bound. Her head, well, her head felt stuffy and it throbbed.

"Oh you're up!" Her voice was cheeky and high.

Regina froze, not daring to say a thing.

"Good," the cheeky voice was gone, replaced by a benevolent one.

For a moment Regina thought there was another person in the room. Then she came into view.

Blonde hair tied into a tight pony tail, face smeared and muddy. It was just her.

"Tinker Bell?" The brunette couldn't hide her surprise nor her disdain.

It seems, even in captivity, she'll always maintain the evil queens' mask. After so many years the woman who slaughtered villages still shines through, cracking her current visage, a mere shadow showing in her caramel irises.

"Hello Regina," Tinker Bell smiled, looking far too ominous in the dim lighting.

* * *

**Present**

If Storybrooke has taught anything to Emma, it was agility and open-minded discussions and guesses. Although this, this is the last thing she'll ever think her citizens to be running from.

A two-story high spider that smelled suspiciously of apples, and it has...

It has...

Is that a bite mark!?

Emma's stomach rumbled.

_Oh no, not for that._

"Wow, I was not expecting that."

"Emma!" Mary Margaret ran towards her, short breaths and soot all over her.

"Mary Margaret?! Why...um... Why is there soot on you?"

"There's a giant apple eating spider and you ask about why there's soot?" David appeared besides Emma's right and she jumped, today is full of surprises.

"David! Dammit, why are you both like that?"

"Like what?" Mary Margaret looked offended.

"Nevermind, the point is, why is that," she pointed at the apple spider eating the corner of a building, "here?"

Both parents looked stooped, saying almost in unison," I don't know."

"But first we have to-" Mary Margaret's voice died off by a loud, "AHHHH!"

A charging yell, as if someone of great stature was about to attack, as if someone was going to go head on with the very monster before them.

Leroy, donned in nothing but card board boxes as armor, jumped from the very building the spider was eating, with a spear. Because some things, like the tavern that holds the best booze, are best protected by loyal customers. Even if that customer is a raging alcoholic in box armor.

He jumped and clumped his meaty hands onto the crook of the bite mark to steady himself, and blind-fully stabbed the creature. Still shouting, still grunting and stabbed, and stabbed, and stabbed. Sending smaller apple slices everywhere.

Then suddenly the spider started to huff and puff.

Mary Margaret yelled "LEROY! GET OFF!"

Still in a warrior stupor, Leroy did not hear one bit, but the crunch and slice of apple bits, and his own shrieks of "NOT THE BOOZE."

The apple spider shrieked and Emma had to cover her ears and she ducked. As if ducking would somehow alleviate the sound wave of pain coursing through her ear drums.

It huffed some more and propelled its angular body backwards and...

_Sneezed._

The creature sneezed, splattering Emma and her parents and anyone in proximity in goop that smelled of apples and cinnamon. Despite herself, her stomach tumbled and rumbled from lack of nutrients, she licked the bottom of her lip.

_It was good_, Emma cringed as that thought entered her mind.

Leroy fell on his bottom as his hold on the spear loosened from the gigantic out hail of the sneeze. His landing was soft as sticky goop covered him from his head to the bottom of his tattered work boots. He got up and shook his arms, feeling the slime and muck mixed with the dirt of Storybrooke.

"Eww..." His face contorted as he watched the goop fall in clumps off his arms.

Then...

It ate him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer : see chapter one**

**AN : the days, as you can see, are not as aligned with one another. I'm telling of Regina's story, Storybrooke's a few weeks behind. Also I have an idea of what Lily looks like, just to input the image of her look. Imagine like a younger Katharine McPhee but with her hair as styled in the show Scorpion.**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_It's been a month since I left and I miss you terribly my little prince. There's this constant throb in my chest when I wake up, knowing you're not around. I hope...that maybe...you miss me too. Even if just a little. Even if it's just my cooking._

_Love mom_

"Missed you yesterday," Lily's voice wound and coiled into Regina's ears.

"Hmm. Really?" The other woman never looked up from her book maintaining a bored tone.

"Yep! Thought you may have left without saying goodbye."

Regina chuckled lightly, turning a page.

"I didn't know you even chuckled," Lily watched.

"Well it wasn't at you and your inane concept of this 'friendship' you think between us. Some parts of this book is rather funny."

"The Looking Glass Wars has jokes?"

"Only if you're smart enough to see it." Regina laughed at the cat.

The cat, was indeed, not an assassin, unless you count berries and sweets as his targets.

Her hand covered the front cover as she closed it, finally looking up at her new companion these days.

Her tone changed as well as her visage, an astonished, "_oh_."

"Surprised?" Lily sat there and Regina could see half of what she wore.

Her hair, not bound by anything, flowed like velvet curtains along her bare shoulders, looking further down, a strapless dress clung around her torso accentuating her curves, the dress was white spotted with the outlines of white oleanders. She looked...not exactly grandiloquent, but rather held a fulgent austere. Sporting an oneiric aureole, looking very much like royalty she's seen in the other world, she felt like a regalia had to have a place upon her sandy colored hair.

"Well...you certainly took a step up from your drab work shirt." That was all she could say.

"Aren't you a charmer," Regina recoiled at the redux of a term, "speaking of charming. Aren't you going to ask why I'm not in work attire?"

"I'm guessing," she tore her eyes away and looked at her book cover, "it has to do with the fact you're off on Mondays?"

"_Aww_, she knows when I'm off." Regina rolled her eyes at that.

"Only because, it's the beginning of a two day breather and peace."

"So nice you are Regina, anyway, no, it's not that. I actually have a date and I'm meeting him here and I'm so nervous and-"

"And how is talking to me ever going to calm your nerves?" She interrupted what was affix to be a long and said-fast speech by the make-shift princess.

"Well I wasn't planning on it. In fact, like I mentioned before, I thought you left."

A sigh.

How many times was this woman going to make Regina sigh out of baleful annoyance?

"I couldn't just leave without saying goodbye to my best friend now couldn't I?" She used a mocking tone.

"Sometimes I wonder why I bother to even talk to you."

"I wonder the same."

"What? Me talking to you? Such a mystery right?"

"No, I wonder why I tolerate you talking."

"My god Regina I'm almost swept off my feet. Please, do continue."

Regina merely glanced up from her book, using THE GLARE, trying to pierce through Lily's playful acerbic tone.

They sat like that. Lily's hand cupping her own cheek while she leaned against it, and Regina's baleful glare.

Then it stopped and she resided back to her book while Lily looked at her maps. It took perhaps five days, five days of Lily asking about the maps that Regina relented and allowed her to look at them. Sometimes during Lily's breaks she'd trace Regina's highlighted marks, in a sort of reverie. Regina would pretend to read something other than, "The Looking Glass Wars," for she seems to not want to finish it so soon. _Henry_, she thought,_ would love this book_. She'd pretend to read and sneak glances at Lily's light touches to the paper.

Sometimes they wouldn't talk, and just sit there in a cordial atmosphere. Sometimes every minute would be filled with talking.

_Dear Henry,_

_I haven't told you this, simply because she's a bane upon my existence. Not as much as Snow, but in her own unique way._

_Her name is Lily._

_She's twenty-five and works as a waitress here in Kramerbooks &amp; Afterwords cafe where I poor over my maps and tape pictures to the journals pages. I've gone almost everywhere we've wanted to go here in Washington. Even went as far as to eat pizza here, just like you wanted._

_It was dreadful._

_Anyway, she started talking to me towards the end of the fourth day I arrived here. She's absolutely...a mystery, to me. She's like a palatial in an otherwise dreary land filled with huts and cottages. I-_

"What do you write in there?"

Regina scratched out the "I"

_Never mind, she's exactly like a hut. Or rather a log that you sit on in front of a warm campfire._

"None of-"

"Your business. I know I know. It's just...curiosity is suffocating!"

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"I just knew you were going to say that."

_Well...the best to put her is, she's surprising. She's a bit weird. Oh, and she's an orphan. The first time she told me that, I found it to be...a resurgent of Emma. Like it was going to happen again. That twirling out of control world that Emma caused. I suppose, in a way, it is like that, but more subtle and not so much hurtful. She also has an extreme ability to put up with my pompous riposte. Although I won't ever admit to her, she's my serendipitous friend._

_Love mom_

_P.S.- I hope you're making friends as well since your new-found family is light and good. Not a dark omnipresent as I._

She placed the journal in her tiny bag she always has on her, "when's your 'date' supposed to be here."

Lily frowned as she looked at her phone for the time, "like...an hour ago."

"How long have you been here?"

"Wow Regina, insightful much?"

"I spent all my time ignoring you and now that I'm talking, you start insulting?"

"Someone has to right?"

Another sigh by Regina, "how long?"

"Two hours...?"

"You came an hour early?"

"Well yeah. I really like this guy."

"Okay Lily."

It took an hour more for Regina to speak the growing elephant between them, "he's not coming Lily."

"I thought, if I just wait here..."

Regina then did something she never does, she consoled, she grabbed Lily's hand, stopping her from tracing more lines on the maps, "Lily," she said her voice softer than she ever has spoken since they've meet, "he's **not** coming."

"I know," her hand gripped Regina's, as if looking for comfort, the brunette didn't squeeze back," I just...dressed up, in a dress, you know? I...waited, and thought maybe if I-"

"Don't."

Lily finally looked up, "don't what? Don't pout? Don't be sad? I was just stood up Regina," she pulled back her hand," I have a right to feel...upset."

Regina didn't try to reach out again; she merely packed her stuff away and stood, "how about we go dancing?"

"What?"

"Well Ms. I'm-actually-wearing-a-dress, let's not waste your efforts and go dancing."

"Where? There's no...Well I mean, this dress isn't meant for night clubs or-"

"Common," Regina regally began walking without her, and Lily quickly followed.

**-A cab ride later-**

It was as they walked up flights of stairs that Lily finally spoke, "where are we going? I've been patient since we got into a cab, but seriously, cardio is NOT my thing."

Regina smirked to Lily's dismay, she let the evil queen show just slightly, enjoying the way the other person suffered while she stomped on easily heading up in black Prada high heels," I thought with all the walking you do at work, this would be a piece of cake."

"Walking, that's right, WALKING. Running?" She huffed and took a deep breath, "well we've never been friends."

"It's a wonder you're so skinny." They've passed the 15th floor.

"Ya know, all that walking."

The evil queen sunk further into the abyss of her visage as she chuckled lightly, "we're almost there, just a couple more floors."

"I thought we were supposed to go dancing... Not run a fricking marathon."

"It's stairs Lily, common." Regina quicken her pace and Lily grunted, picking up her knee high dress and followed.

They made it, 20th floor, "why does your hotel have so many stairs?! And why does it have so many floors!?"

Lily was irritated and the evil queen of Regina emerged once again, chuckling at Lily's displeasure, "because it's a city Lily. My hotel is in the city."

"Right. Okay. Fine. One would think you'd spend your time in a grand hotel with many stairs."

She could feel her, the evil queen. She lay there just under the surface, waiting to emerge. It's been so long since she's had someone to fight. What do you do when your inner demons lay just there? Just in sight? So close you could feel them? Well you act completely out of character. So much so, that perhaps, your demons will take you for a different person, they'll leave. You pretend to be someone else in hopes of being free.

That's why Regina had helped this innocuous, obnoxious waitress. That's why she said her next line.

"And voila!" Regina opened the doors with a card to the roof.

There was white Christmas lights and white orb lanterns streaked and created a calm aureole. A table set for two sat in the middle, with wine and a candle.

"Wow..." Lily walked, and Regina noted how almost angelic the other woman looked in white against the stars and lanterns.

"When did you do this Regina? Expecting my date to cancel?"

"Ha ha," Regina mock laughed in a velvet throaty reply, "not exactly. This morning while I sat in the lobby, this man talked about proposing to his girlfriend. He talked and talked, quite annoyingly I might add, and then his girlfriend showed up, apparently they had planned a whole day together. She left him for this rugged handsome man that stood next to her."

"Harsh," Lily still walked around, looking at the flowers scattered about in vases.

"I mentioned he was annoying right? It was good she left.," Regina followed and challenged Lily's pointed glare at her compliment about the man, "the staff asked around, they apparently set it all up, such a waste they claimed."

"So did you volunteer admirably?" Lily poked at a paper orchid handing loosely from the wires of the Christmas lights.

"Not quite, they said if no one claimed it they'll just have a staff dinner." She looked out into the lit city.

"So naturally your cold stature was like, 'no fun for the peasants!'"

Regina smirked, "no. I just wanted to see how far the man cared for the woman who left him. Maybe blow up a balloon and pretend to have a date."

Lily laughed, "so does that make this a date?"

Regina's stomach did a small flip, "no, just an expedient for your current predicament."

"Well thank you Regina."

Perhaps, the evil queens time is through, perhaps the mirrors of her other half is slowly fading. Perhaps...

Lily's real smile seemed brighter than the moon, stars, and lights all together.

Yes, perhaps the dark side of her is fading with so much light around her.

* * *

**Past**

She remembered it hurt. She could feel very vein and vessel suddenly popping. When heart is taken, it isn't the real heart, oh no. It's a magical copy of your heart, your feelings, your emotions, and your admiration.

You know that saying? "Follow your heart's desire."

It's exactly what happens when a magical copy is taken.

_This hurts_, Regina's only two coherent words rang clearly in her mind.

Oh, there were other ones, but they seem to drown within the chaos that happens in your mind when your heart is being squeezed and pulled. This has happened before, she's taken her own heart out a few times , just to see how much darker she's become. The evil queen side of her always reveled in how charred and black it had become. But it never hurt like this.

What's worse than having your heart taken out?

Having your heart taken out by an inexperienced person.

And Tinker Bell was inexperienced and vengeful.

You could feel that too. The other person's emotions for just a second before the heart is completely out. For a moment, you and that person are one, whether you want to or not. That's why Regina always took hearts out quickly. So quickly there's only a quick pain within the other person. So quickly the person doesn't even know until their heart is beating and glowing in front of them.

_Her_, the evil queen of Regina use to love that. She used to love the way the person eyes would practically pop out of their head as their mouths formed an O, so surprised as to what has just transpired.

Although with her... Regina couldn't be surprised, because it hurt so damn much.

Tinker Bell then held the blacken heart in front of her. Regina, pushed the evil queen down, and felt sorrow at how dark the organ was.

"So this," Tinkers voice spoke in a gleeful high tone, "is what a witch's heart looks like. This..." She stroked it and Regina grimaced just slightly, "is what _your_ heart looks like. How intriguing."

She squeezed.

Regina made a groan and propelled forward slightly, "stop."

"Stop what?" she uses a childish voice and blinked her eyes, "stop this?"

"Argh," Regina's jaw clenched and she felt her teeth rub against one another.

"Yes. Stop that." What else was she supposed to say?

She could feel herself wanting to do what this former fairy wanted. She could feel Tinkers desire. She wanted herself buried deep beneath the earth's crust, feeling the heat and boiling lava.

"You ruined my life," Tink's voice grew deeper, "you ruined everything!"

Her grip tighten and Regina relented from a scream clawing at her throat, "and I'm sorry."

Her heart was on the line, she had to pull all the stops.

"Sorry? _*scoff*_ sorry!? Oh it's fine because she's sorry! No! _Sorry_ isn't good enough right now. _Sorry_ is for a fairy whom was naive enough to help a trapped queen, and was punished for it."

She could feel Tinker Bells sorrow, anger, and...betrayal. It was mixed like cocktail drink, spinning inside her chest. She never said sorry to anyone, but the blonde in front of her, doesn't know that.

"What happened to you?"

She never saw Tink after she told her to leave. She was just gone.

She didn't say anything only glared at Regina, "wouldn't you like to know?"

Her grip was tightening and Regina knew then, that Tink didn't know the point where a heart crumbles, how delicate it is, how you should handle it with care. Unless she truly wanted her dead.

_No._

She couldn't feel that, she could feel everything but that. The woman in front of her only wants Regina to KNOW. To know how much she's hurt her.

So the brunette carefully and slowly reached, but Tink backed away her heart. So instead, she placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder.

"You don't want to do this."

"Maybe I do," Tinks reply was fast and short, harboring her think Australian accent, proving how much of auslander she is.

"No..." Regina focused on breathing, Tink's grip was strong, "no you don't Tinker Bell. I can feel it."

Her eyes narrowed, "you're lying!"

"No I'm not, see this?" She ran her hand down Tink's arm until she relented and directed the heart in between them.

Regina's hand slid all the way on top of Tinker Bells, and she felt her hearts lub-dub rhythm beneath tanned skin. She wondered how long this fairy has been here. Long enough to be written in Peter Pans books. She wondered if she was banished or simply ran away.

"This is my heart."

"I know that."

"No, you don't, this is my heart Tinker Bell. You're holding it, and I can feel it. I can _feel_ what _you're_ feeling."

"So you know how much I want you dead."

"No."

The woman holding her heart frowned and look a step forward, "how?"

"I've had that feeling before. To kill. It's different. It's suffocating, it's the only thing you'll ever want. It's almost as strong as true love. It made me the evil queen. You...you just want me to feel what you feel. And I _can_. I can feel it now."

Please _please_, Regina thought through the newly placed silence.

"I lost my wings because of you."

_Oh._

"I lost my family, my rank, my magic..."

She could feel it then, the ever growing chasm of loneliness. The despair of wanting and never receiving. It was reprinting her insides with the color of Tinker Bell.

"Do you see this? How black it is."

The former fairy looked confused, "what?"

"Look," her fingers traced over her own heart carefully and she could feel her chest blooming from such a gentle touch.

"I bet yours, isn't like this," Regina laid her other hand on Tinker Bells chest.

"No, I know it's not. I could feel it. I want you to know this, if you do this, crush my heart, there's no going back. Darkness will reside there forever. Just as mine. Tattered and muddy with blood."

"Why are you here?"

She didn't expect that so soon.

"Why are you and your friends trying to find me?"

"They're NOT my friends."

_Great, so her sons missing and her hearts been taken out, yet, she finds the need to point out that those idiots are not her friends. Priorities._

"I'm looking for my son. They just happen to be here as well."

Tinker Bell looked up and eyes Regina. She looked for the leverage, not entirely believing what Regina is saying.

"You have a son?"

Her grip loosened and Regina subtlety sucked in much needed air, nodding her confirmation.

"Regina don't lie to me."

"Is that what you want? For me not to lie?"

It took her awhile to answer, "yes."

"Then I'm telling the truth. Your heart's desire is now mine," she rubbed her thumb on the back of Tink's palm.

"Why is your son here?"

"Peter Pan took him."

Tink smiled and spoke in an acerbic voice, "Peter Pan only takes the boys who feel unloved and isolated."

Regina's heart felt like it was being gripped once more, but she could feel Tinker Bells hand was as loose as it had ever been since she took her heart.

She opted to remain quiet.

"Was he feeling unloved by the evil queen?"

_Ah crap._

* * *

**Present**

"Leroy!"

Emma's body straighten at that voice, "Henry?"

She turned around and there stood her son, stunned about the spider yet looking guilty all the same," I thought I told you to wait in the car!"

The spider monster shrieked once more.

"There's no time for that now Emma! Can't you see there's an apple spider!?" He pointed and Emma had a flash of Regina.

"I specifically told you to **wait**, to wait in the car."

"Henry, what did we talk about it school?" Mary Margaret's teacher voice drifted into the air between mother and son.

"Yeah Henry, you should listen to Emma. She's only trying to protect you." David dove in.

Henry looked and seemed guilty, but his eyes displayed anger. Just because he was a kid didn't mean he couldn't see the action right? He should be old enough to make his own decisions right?

"Okay." He walked away.

Emma and her parents looked back at the spider chasing people.

"We have to kill that thing before it eats anyone else. I'll go get my sword."

Typical Charming and his medieval ways, "I'll go call blue fairy and see if she can stop it."

There's Mary Margaret and her reliance on "white" magic.

Now it was Emma's turn, "I'm going to see how many citizens are down there by that thing. Maybe I could lore it somewhere?"

And now the saviors take, to save as people as possible.

Not too far away, hiding behind a trash can, Henry whispered, "and I'll see what my mom can do."

He started running towards the mansion knowing exactly where her books are.

"Okay, stay in contact okay?" Mary Margaret then hugged Emma, spreading blacked dirt on her leather jacket and the blonde stood, not bothering to even lean into her.

Then David hugged her next, _more soot_..._great_... She stood just as with Mary Margaret.

"Be careful!" The couple ran in opposite directs and Emma stood in soot and bits and pieces of spider goo, she looked glumly back at the spider.

_Great._

**-MANSION-**

Henry decided he was getting good at this running thing.

Almost there.

He passed the gates and stopped.

The door was chewed, he walked slowly inside, and while silencing his heavy breathing as well as he could, he listened intently.

He stood in the door way, and reached for the light by the front door. He felt sticky, sloppy goo, as the switch was flipped up.

There in his palatial of a home, was apple cinnamon smelling goo. Splattered everywhere like a web. Henry attempted to move his hand back from the switch and found it to be...

_Stuck._

His hand was stuck, so he pulled and pulled until it shot towards him.

Only...a long string of goo followed, "yuck... I'm never looking at apples or cinnamon the same again..."

Then a noise reverberated off the walls, Henry jumped, looking up.

"Who's there?"

He mentally kicked himself. No one should shout if there's a strange noise in the night. He's read this so many times in his books. It never fairs well.

Then he heard crunching, as if someone was eating an apple. Then tiny shrieks.

_Oh no._

He turned and ran but then the long strip of red goo pulled him back so sharply his arm twisted and he fell onto his side. He groaned and turned until his back felt cool against the cement of the porch. He felt pain snake and wound around his shoulder. He blinked against the spots in his eyes as he looked up into the night sky. His hand, attached to the goop, provided some sort of rope and clung to him like super glue.

He shifted onto his stomach, flinching as he realized he may have done severe damage to his shoulder. He looked back into the house and his pain was masked by fear.

Dozens of tiny spider apple babies crawled on the walls, floors and stairs towards him.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN : Hello again!**

**DISCLAIMER : See chapter one**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_She burps, she sways, she dances, and she barely balances a glass of wine. I swear Henry, if you ever touch alcohol my evil queen will come full force and-_

She stopped putting her pen down a frown dug its way up and just let her thought swirl and consume her for a moment.

Will she ever see Henry again?

Does she plan to?

Suddenly the sound of shattering glass breaks her daunting reverie.

"Oops. -_hiccup_\- sorry Regina. Guess the music's getting to me." She stood there, legs at a slight bow and giggled at the broken glass as if it were tiny ants to step on. So she did. High heels crunched glass and she did it with a growl and a rawr.

Regina sighed.

"I try and try to no avail." The brunette closes her journal and looks off onto the lit city.

She tries to picture Henry. His full smile and shaggy brown hair. The way he stomps down the steps and groans about the school day. And especially his moments of needs towards her. When he scrapped his knee, the hugs, and...

It's that one thought.

The hugs.

She hasn't received one in so long. Her arms subconsciously wrap around her torso and she fights the oncoming tears. Luckily the pain subsides slightly because suddenly...a weight befalls her, as Lily drops her weight onto her lap.

"Wha-" Regina startles and quickly takes into account Lily's dishevel state, "Lily. Get off."

She uses her signature glare.

"Boop." Lily pokes Regina's nose and for a moment it's silence as the former queen takes into account what had just transpired.

"Okay. That's it."

Regina pushes Lily until she falls onto her side, grabs her notebook and gets up, "I've been patient and lenient and for gods sake I bought you dinner that you didn't finish!"

Lily raises an eyebrow from down below, "you call 'fish,' dinner? Ew, Regina I -_hiccup_\- 'cuse me. Fish...is not a dinner. It's...severed heads and scales. No thanks."

She tries getting up and the evil queen shines through her cracked visage once more as Regina pushes her down.

Lily's face is priceless, "oh you did not just-"

"No," Regina bends and points a finger, "you 'did not just'. That was smoked salmon by the finest chiefs in this hotel! With sauces from Italy and wine from New Hampshire! You do not JUST disregard a perfect meal JUST because your fail of a boyfriend failed to show up to a date he probably didn't even want! I mean look at you."

"Look me WHAT?" Lily perched herself on her elbows, fire once again challenging Regina's gaze.

Matching hers as a blonde and a raven haired woman once did before.

The magic of the fire broke as soon as she hiccuped and Regina stood higher straitening her posture, "you're pathetic."

Regina practically spat it. With that she began her trek towards the door.

"HEY!"

She turned around to see Lily had gotten up, her eyes fumed, her hands balled into fists at her side, her cheeks red, "YOU don't get to say that! YOU were a woman sitting alone glowering over maps and books for children! What, Ms. Blue journal-"

Regina's teeth ground as she said, "purple."

"BLUE journal, what are you running from?" Lily stepped closer and closer.

It wasn't until Lily's intoxicated breath snaked around Regina's nose that she answered, "it's none-"

"Of my business! I know, I know! But WHY!? Why are you running? You're alone! I can see that! But WHY?"

Regina took a step back. This was getting more personal than she wanted.

"You write in a book every day, and all I've seen in that is, 'dear he-' there's never enough time to see the rest. Who are you writing to?" Then she hiccuped again, reminding Regina of why she's saying this.

_Drunk_, she reminded herself. She's fucking drunk and she hates drunk people. So she should leave and just-

"Who are you anyway to afford these fancy hotels and fancy fishes with fancy out of state wine? Someone important... But WHO?"

"You're drunk." _Great response Regina_, she thought to herself.

_Ruled an empire and this is your downfall. Arguing with drunk heart-broken waitresses._

"No shit, Sherlock." Lily retaliated.

_Cliched_, Regina thought.

"I did whatever in my power to make you feel better," she stabbed Lily's chest with an accusing finger stepping much closer," I did what a good person would do. HELP. I tried to help-"

"I. DID. NOT. ASK. FOR. YOUR. HELP." With each word Lily jabbed a finger on Regina's chest.

"WELL. I. DONT. CARE." Regina jabbed her back, with each word as well," I helped anyway. If you didn't like fish you should have said so dearie. Then maybe my money wouldn't go to waste you ungrateful swine."

Lily scoffed and suddenly that fire was dosed by tears in her eyes and another hiccup, "of course! Nice lady, nice food, nice rooftop. But I don't deserve it Regina. I'm...ungrateful! Yeah! He smelled nice!"

_What?_

Regina's visage sealed the evil queen away once more by being replaced with a tired voice, "what are you talking about now?"

"The guy, he smelled nice you know. And boys normally smell gross! He smelled like...like leather and books and soup."

"I don't have time for this," Regina turned only to be met with a hand on her wrist.

Regina turned her head and raised an eyebrow.

"No, you're trying to be nice remember? I assume...I think it's whoever you're writing to right? Why write in a book everyday if not for the day's events and people. What Ms. Blue did you do?"

"Purple."

"He. Was. Nice."

Regina sighed again.

"Fine. I'll listen. But I'm taking off my shoes."

She basically just stepped out of her heels and nearly moaned at the immediate relief, if only she were sitting.

Lily suddenly wrapped her arms around Regina's shoulders, "Lily? I said I'll listen not...whatever you doing."

"Shut up and dance with me while I whine."

Regina mentally groaned and stomped, "I'm a nice person."

"Perhaps if you repeat that enough it'll be true."

Regina's hands found rest on her hips, she lazily danced along to Lily's slurred movements.

"Here I'll even put on music." Lily grabbed into her dress pocket, "this dress has pockets. It's great."

Regina rolled her eyes AGAIN.

Then the night air was filled with a soft humming as guitar strings were pulled and strung into soft melodies.

"Jimmy Durante," Regina said.

"I'll be seeing you,' is my favorite," Lily smiled.

"Why?" Regina asked.

"Did you know it was playing when I first said hi to you?"

"You remember that?"

"It's my favorite song. How can I not remember?"

Then the sandy colored haired woman seemed to put half her weight on her. Wait till Henry hears about this. Drunk dancing and the many dangers behind it. Such as...

"His eyes were a nice blue...and his glasses...just screamed nice-"

A heartbroken woman.

A while later and she's still continuing.

"How dare he just not show up! I'm going to rip his heart out."

Old clichés.

More nonsense.

Lily put her head in the crook of her neck and shoulder, she sobbed," I waited three hours..."

Drunk people sadness.

Regina grimaced and tried not to flinch at Lily's tears running down her chest and patted her back awkwardly, "there, there."

She felt Lily's breath against the curve of her neck as she chuckled, "you're so good at comforting other people."

"Looks who found her sarcastic voices again."

"Knew you took it. Hiding it behind your ear." She felt Lily's breath.

She pulled away, "better?"

"Much. Thanks. I guess I just needed to talk." Lily frowned, "that sounded much too girly for my taste."

Regina scoffed through her nose, "everyone needs to talk every now and then."

Lily whipped at her eyes and hiccuped, smearing make-up and perhaps whatever dignity she's maintained in front of Regina.

"Can I rest my feet now?" Regina asked.

"Go ahead your highness. A girl just poured her drunken soul out to you and all you care about is your feet."

"Kind of the point as to why I took off my heels." She bent down and picked up her Prada shoes.

"Yeah. It's getting late anyway, I have to head home and pretend everything's okay in the morning."

Regina looked at her watch, "it is morning. Two am."

"Oh! How quaint," Lily poked Regina's wrist watch, "no one wears these anymore."

Regina fought desperately not to roll her eyes again.

"To the stairs!" Lily bounced and stumbled.

Regina realized during the dance she kept them at balance.

"You're not getting down those flights of stairs."

"Regina, I understand you may have been a snotty know-it-all, who ordered people around before you took your quest of blue journals and drunken comfort."

Regina bit her tongue.

"I mean I can just smell the 'leaderness' off of you but imperfectly fine."

Regardless, Regina stayed close to Lily as they exited the roof, closing the heavy metal door.

Lily seemed to pause, "wow, I don't remember them being that...steep...and narrow."

"Go ahead. I mean, if you want." Regina flashed that mayoral smile at her friend.

Lily, of course, gave her the, "shut-up-or-so-help-me" look.

She took one step, then two, and another, and down she went, foot by foot.

"Hah! See! I told you I could do it!"

"Congratulations Lily, you made it down...ONE floor. Sixteen more to go." Her fake smile proudly showed at Lily's annoyed face.

"Okay. Perfectly fine blue."

"Purple."

"Whatever."

She stepped down and down, until her foot missed and she started to tumble. She felt her heart skip just a little faster, her limps and legs seemed to shoot with adrenaline, and Regina moved with the speed of a god among mortals, grabbing Lily's forearm and waist. Despite Lily's small frame and thin waist, she seemed to weigh more than she let on. Then her small bag containing her journal and money slipped off her shoulder. That caused her attention to split to both Lily and her bag, causing her loose her footing. Regina's knee and hipbone hit the hard cement of the stairs with Lily's body finding the soft cushioning landing of Regina.

"Whoa!" Lily leaned further into her savior, "you-you caught me."

Regina groaned, "well I wasn't about to call and admit a helping hand to a murder from the stairs."

"Great thanks."

She heard Regina groan and shifted herself, "sorry, did I hurt you?"

"No. I'll grow new bones. OF COURSE YOU HURT ME. Your entire body just fell on me instead of the soft stairs." Regina secured the bag and Lily remained on her lap.

"Right sorry... It looks like I can't battle stairs triumphantly as I thought."

"Quite a bumptious thought..."

"Sorry here let me-"

"No! Lily! No. I'm not trusting a drunk woman to help me up." She carefully slid off the brunettes lap and sat on a stair below.

Regina grimaced as she stood, pain shot through her body like a bullet.

"Well...looks like you're going to have to." Lily smiled and Regina's frowned deepened as she realized her mistake.

It is now the time for drunkenness and a bruised rigid poise of a sober woman, to make it down the stairs.

"Are you sure you don't need me to call an ambulance?" Lily's arm carefully held Regina's waist, and her other held firmly to the railing of the stairs.

"I'll be fine. Let's just get down these stairs okay? My room is a few more levels down."

Lily nodded before realizing that simple shake of her head was a mistake, she let go of Regina and vomited on the stair above her. Regina groaned and leaned against the railing.

_Dear Henry,_

_Thirty minutes of agony is not worth the amount of alcohol. No. Henry do not drink. Or so help me I will come back full motherly force and slap the Charmings for allowing you near that devil drink! Be damned my self-exile. You're not drinking. EVER._

_Regina gulped her red wine and placed it at the edge of the table. It numbs the pain in her hips from her fall._

_By the way, Lily helped me to my hotel room. Before I could suggest she not stagger home and that the metro probably is not running, she was fast asleep at the foot of the bed. What am I to do? What have I done?_

_I think..._

_I made..._

_a friend._

_-love mom_

_P.S.- she smells of wine and vanilla. Never make friends with a drunk. I mean, look at Leroy. At least my drunk smells okay._

"Reeggiinnaaa..."

"Go to sleep Lily."

"Whatareyouwriting?" Lily's slurred vocabulary made it sound as if her whole sentence was one word.

"Sleep."

"Right well...goodnight blue..." She hugged a pillow to her chest.

"Goodnight...purple."

Regina slightly fringed at the nickname she just gave. It's so out of character for her. But for once, it seems as if the evil queen is no longer peeking through. She smiled as Lily snuggled further into the pillow.

She snapped a photo of Lily and tapped it onto the page she wrote one. Underneath it, she wrote, "drinking is bad."

* * *

**Past**

"Regina!" Emma's voice reverberated in the cave.

"They're looking for me," Regina looked to Tink.

Tink looked torn between her question and curiosity, "Regina, if you and your...associates want my help, I want a fail-safe."

"What?"

"A fail-safe. Golden handcuffs. Whatever you want to call it, I just want to know I'm not just being used to find an unloved child."

"He wasn't unloved!"

"But he felt it! Therefore he was! Whether you wanted it or not Regina! Your son, was so unloved by YOU that Pan lured him!"

"He wasn't lured by Pan!"

Tink stopped and blinked a few times, "what do you mean he wasn't...?"

"Pan didn't take him here. His idiotic lappies did. Greg and Tamara." Regina said their names with such disdain, as if speaking of a dead rat.

Which isn't quite so far from the truth.

Tink raised an eyebrow, surveying Regina, "so... He wasn't feeling...?"

She squeezed Regina's heart and the brunette groaned once more, "please Tink... Be careful."

She began to lean against the wall then Tink spoke, "was your son... Was he loved? Tell me the truth Regina."

She squeezed her heart harder. Regina found that pixies are much different from fairies. Pixies don't just care because the person is of their charge. They care simply for the reason to care. Tinker Bell cared so much it cost her everything. It seems, even in betrayal and doubt, she still cares. Maybe not about Regina, but a part of her. The best part. Henry.

"No..." She felt tears burn at the brim of her eyes, no, Henry did not feel loved. If he did he wouldn't have brought Emma, he wouldn't have...rejected her.

"No, and that's my fault," she couldn't stop it.

Much like a dam breaking, Tink held her heart and wanted it, with her whole being, _the truth_ out of Regina. And if part of the truth was this wretched feeling finally coming alight, then she had no choice but to say it.

"It was my fault, I failed as a mother and...and I nearly killed him trying to keep MY happy ending. I was selfish and now he's in trouble and it feels like I can't breathe Tink."

Tink loosened her grip but Regina continued, "it feels so horrible, failing him, because he's all I have and he doesn't even want me."

"What did you do to him?" Tink was back to her somber self.

Her visage of pretend highlighted mirth broke. It was never there. Fairies and pixies all have that. Like Regina's mayoral face, this perky visage was only part of the business.

Regina held onto her chest and her eyes drifted to the floor. The vain showed prominently upon her forehead, showing how hard she tries to keep her tears at bay.

Tinks fingers tightened, "what did you do?"

Regina shook her head, pleading the pixie in a way she never does, with weakness. A shake of her head, because that was all she could muster. If anything more, she may as well burst.

Her fingernails dug into Regina's heart and she gasped, landing onto her knees, "please Tinker Bell."

"Tell me my dear queen," Tinker Bell lowered herself to her level and stroked her face gently, "tell me what an evil witch does to her unloved child."

That broke it, the tears streamed and created crossroads upon her face. A gluttonous groan escaped she didn't realize it was there in the first place. Sometimes tears aren't the only things wanting to break out in ugly emotions.

"I made him think he was crazy."

"Oh Regina... My poor drunken queen, always messing up great loves, don't you even want to be happy?"

Regina looked straight into Tinker Bells eyes, "you can keep it."

The pixie stared back, "you didn't answer my question."

"You know my answer Tink," Regina forced her way up, because if Regina Mills is good at anything, it's picking herself back up over and over again.

She took a step closer and did the same as before, she placed her hands gently upon Tinker Bells hand around her heart.

"You can keep it as your failsafe." She looked so sincere Tink nearly failed to speak.

"But-but if I keep it then there's no ambition left in you to find your son."

Regina shook her head, "his names Henry, and he's so beautiful, and smart, and wonderful. I'll have all the ambition in the world, even without a heart."

She smiled that broken smile of hers. The one with red cheeks, and puffy eyes.

"I trust you with my life now. Isn't that enough? I may have ruined yours, but now it's your turn Tink. Will you ruin mine? It's right here."

Suddenly the pixie looked confused, "this is a trick isn't it?"

"No. No, you're right. I'm selfish and...horrible. But that doesn't mean I still can't love, or feel pain. Henry has granted me the fullest love and the greatest pain. I don't regret a single thing, because it lead me all to him. And that's selfish. But if you do...crush my blackened heart. Then that's a promise Tink. A promise that you'll find him for me and tell him yourself, how you defeated an evil witch. Because I'm so sorry Tinker Bell, that I don't feel regret, but I am sorry what happened to you."

The fabled pixie of fairytales then showed remorse in the few moments it took her to respond, "okay."

Her grip loosened considerable upon Regina's heart. Her chest no longer felt constricted and tight. She placed her heart gently in her bag, and Regina said a silent goodbye to the magical copy of her organ.

"Okay then. Let's go find Henry."

Regina smiled that broken smile once more.

* * *

**Present -MARY MARGARET-**

"Mary Margaret!"

The woman herself turned to whom called her name, "oh! Kathryn! Hey, have you seen the blue fairy? She's not at the covenant."

Kathryn stood breathless in front of the raven haired woman, "hey, why is there soot on you?"

"No time, have you seen the blue fairy?"

"No, no I haven't. But I think the..." She scrunched her face," I think the apple spider is the least of our worries."

"What's worse than a spider who eats people whole?"

"I saw Peter Pan flying towards Regina's house."

"Oh."

**-HENRY-**

Henry's heart rammed against his chest, like it was trying so desperately to break free and flee. His legs felt like jello and his shoulders pain crept into his chest. He couldn't move, he couldn't get up, he watched as they came closer and closer. He noticed the tiny details upon them, their eyes shined like an apple in the sun. Their legs were as spindle as an apples stem. And their bodies as red as freshly dropped apples. The smell of cinnamon filled his nose once more as they crept nearer.

His scream died before he could deliver it. He briefly wondered if they'll all eat him piece by piece, like a zombie. His sandwich seemed to be climbing its way up his esophagus.

"STOP!"

Henry's body jumped from the unexpected voice.

"We need him."

The voice sounded raspy and deep.

"We don't want to harm our biggest asset here."

Hook.

The baby apple spiders halted and looked towards the stairs. To the window on the side of the stairs and Henry looked as well.

"No..." He barely managed a whisper, "it can't be you..."

It wasn't the man in black with eyeliner. It was him. The boy whom tried using his heart. The boy who tricked him and fooled him, and almost killed his entire family. He stood in the window, his dark aureole appearing like a morbid leitmotif.

"Pan," he said it with as much disdain as his mother had spoken about Greg and Tamara.

"Impressed, truest believer?" He said the nickname with slight sarcasm.

Henry glared with a look much like his adoptive mother.

"You look almost frightening like that. But it seems laying on your side isn't docking you as much points as you'd like."

He snapped his fingers, "help him up."

The spiders came near him again and Henry froze and flinched as the spiders' cinnamon and apple scent touched and pulled until he stood straight. He remembered his mother's pompous poise in courtrooms and town meetings. He thought of Emma's stance towards his other mother as well. With his mother's stone like postures in mind, he stood tall, ignoring the pain shooting waves into his shoulder.

"Do you like them?"

Henry glared and Pan smiled his boyish lopsided smile.

"I mean, I personally, love them. Childish things right? No adult would imagine to make these. Didn't we all imagine at one point in our lives to make something alive, anything! It wasn't easy mind you. The last ingredients seemed almost impossible to find. You see, these apples," he patted one as it crawls near him, "were simply lying about beneath an apple tree. I had to find a match for the owner. And…the perfect first apple."

Henry's poise loosened slightly by his curiosity, "match?"

Peter smiled and spoke in Hooks voice once more, "to the crocodile!"

Then he switch to his regular British one, "I'll see you later, truest believer."

And with that Peter Pan flew straight for the door and knocked Henry over. The younger boy cried out in pain as he landed on his bottom clutching his surely broken shoulder. The spiders dissipated in a green smoke.

**-MARY MARGARET-**

"What do you mean you saw pan?! He's trapped in the pandorica!"

"Well then he must've figured out a way to leave."

"But I don't," the once Snow White huffed and slapped her hands against her sides," I don't understand how he could get out."

"There's no time Mary Margaret. We need to go to Regina's NOW. He's there and if there's a connection to him and that creature then we have to go."

"I'll call Emma and David on the way."

Kathryn nodded, "I'll call David and you call Emma."

The pale woman almost asked how she procured David's number then she remembered. Sometimes she forgot David wasn't just married to her.

"Okay."

**-EMMA-**

Slaying dragons was one thing, creepy cinnamon scented apple spiders was another. For one, every time she shot it with her shotgun, it seemed to feel no pain at all. Only the sticky juice came plopping down. She did whatever she could avoid it. She cleared as much as Main Street as possible, but somehow people still screamed and ran. She tried shooting once more and only met with an empty, "click."

Out of ammo.

"Ugh!" She threw it, scanning the area.

There, a large kitchen knife. She ran and scooped it up, she focused her energy and suddenly the knife grew full size into a scimitar

"Hyah!" She sliced and it tipped and leaned further and further...

Then grew a huge strong leaf as a type of prosthetic leg. Emma sighed and huffed, remembering to breathe.

Her phone rung and she ran to the side of a building and answered with a loud, "HELLO."

"Emma?" Mary Margaret sounded breathless and concerned, "are you okay?"

Oh please tell me she didn't just call for a check-up. Emma thought.

It's only been a few minutes, "YEAH. YEAH I'M FINE."

More screams came from the streets, "WHAT DO YOU WANT MARY MARGARET?"

"Emma... I ran into Kathryn and she...well she... I don't-"

Louder screams, "SPIT IT OUT MARY MARGARET."

"She saw Peter Pan heading towards Regina's."

Emma dropped the phone.

"Emma? Emma? Hello?" Her mother voice was heard through the abandoned phone.

"HEY YOU! YOU BIG UGLY APPLE! Or...or bug!"

The creature looked towards her, "that's right! You're not even scary you big pile of scented cheap holiday candles! Come here!"

It started to run towards her, Emma ran with long strides and speed to match Hermes. The giant apple spider not too far behind. She headed towards the mayors mansion.

**-MARY MARGARET-**

"Did you get ahold of David?"

Kathryn nodded and continued running, "yeah, he said he got his sword and he'll meet us there in five."

"Okay," Mary Margaret's breathing came out in short pants," I reached Emma."

"What did she say?"

"She...I don't know, she just disappeared on me. You don't think she...?" The concerned mother stopped.

Kathryn grabbed her hand, "common, Emma's okay. She's the savior remember? It's going to take a lot more than huge apple spiders that smell like an isle in bed bath and beyond to take her down."

Mary Margaret nodded and started running again, "you're right. She probably went off to save someone. She's fine."

They ran in silence for a while.

"So..." Kathryn spoke a bit breathless, "did you tell them? About Regina?"

The other woman's stomach tumbled and she nearly tripped.

"Whoa, watch yourself there Snow."

"Mary Margaret is fine, thank you."

"Okay. Mary Margaret, did you tell them?"

"Well, it's been a few weeks. Of course they know... Just... Not from me."

"Oh Mary Margaret..."

"I couldn't tell them! They..they've been searching for her."

"Do you think they'll find her?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want them to find her?"

"I don't know."

The mansion came into view as did a boy sitting on the stairs clutching his wounded shoulder.

"Henry!" His grandmother appeared before him.

He looked up, tears staining his face, "grandma? Why are you covered in soot?"

"No time, what happened?" She knelt down in front of him.

"I think I broke my shoulder..."

Kathryn bent down, "let me see."

Both Henry and Mary Margaret exchanged looks until Kathryn spoke in her defense, "in my cursed memories David always harmed himself accidentally."

They nodded as if it made perfect sense and Henry took his hand off his shoulder, he flinched as Kathryn touched it, "sorry Henry, this is going to hurt."

"What is?" His grandmother expressed concern.

"His shoulder popped out. The hospital right now is being evacuated due to the current predicament of the two story spider."

Henry looked to his grandma, she nodded," I trust you Kathryn."

Kathryn wasn't looking at her anymore, she kept her gaze at Henry, "do you trust me?"

Henry nodded with a slight half smile.

"Hold his other hand Mary Margaret."

She was by him in a second, "okay Henry, lay down."

He did as he was told, "ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

She lifted his arm slowly and as fast as she could without causing more injury. It popped back into place and Henry's cries filled the night spring air.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN : Sorry it took so long to update. No computer. Just my phone. Plus it was really busy. Now that the holidays are nearing I'll have a bit of a break and that'll come with more updates. Thank you all once again.**

**DISCLAIMER**** : see first chapter**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_They say that the universe is infinite, simply because a finite universe would collapse in on itself according to Newton's Laws. Gravity, stars and their gravitational pull and what not._  
_BUT, since it is an infinite universe, every point can be regarded as the center, because every point has an infinite number of stars on each side of it. If it were a finite universe there would only be a fixed number of stars. In Newton's Laws, gravity causes the moon to move in an elliptical orbit around the earth and causes the earth and the planets to follow elliptical paths around the sun._

_You see, Newton realized that the stars should attract to one another if stars were fixed, so it seemed they could remain motionless. Although wouldn't they fall together at one point? A small force would push it towards one star and they would continue that route to that one star from thief gravitational pull. But if there were an infinite number of stars, distributed over an infinite space, this would not happen, because there would not be any central point for them to fall to._

_With that said, in an infinite universe every point can be regarded as the center, because every point has an infinite number of stars on each side. So to each person, any person could very well be the center of the universe._

_Isn't that great?_

_A cup of coffee could be the center of your universe for a short while. Math, even if you hate it, and whether you like it to or not, it will be the center for a short while. Candy canes can be your center. Cartoons, and ice cream, centers as well. People even. A stable boy and a mother._

_Did you know Henry...?_

_You're still the center of mine._

_-love mom_

Lily walked in front of her. Hair a tattered mess as well as her wrinkled skirt. Her expression was one of indifference mixed with a person whom only had a few hours of sleep. Regina, on the other hand, just looked tired, with a new set of clothes and comfortable shoes. Lily wore another pair by Regina. She refused anything else besides that.

They got to the metro that leads Lily close to her apartment, hardly anyone was there, "it's much too early to be alive."

Regina smirked, "then we must be dead."

"Good thinking." She yawned.

They waited.

Awkwardly. _Together_.

"So...," Lily began, "thank you. For last night. You didn't have to keep me, you could've just called a cab and abandoned my drunk ass."

"That wouldn't have been very nice of me."

Lily snorted, "since when have you been nice?"

"Since you wore a dress. I think it fits quite well for something we never do. Why can't I do something I never do? Like be nice."

Lily's smile was now a half smile. As if she was too tired to even attempt a full smile,

"Well it's okay now Regina. I can make my way home myself now. I'll give your shoes back tomorrow."

Regina shifted from side to side, "I'm leaving tomorrow."

Lily froze mid yawn, "what? What do you mean 'leaving'? Like...leave leave? Or just another missing day leave?"

"I'm leaving Washington D.C. There's still a lot I have to do." Regina avoided eye contact.

She was getting much too close to this sandy haired waitress. People, Regina found, have a way of destroying you little by little. And so far this woman has destroyed most of her by being...nice.

"I think I'll visit Tallahassee," she thought of a blonde woman as she said it.

Her gaze became forlorn and soft.

"What's so special about Tallahassee? I mean, you have everything here right?"

Regina shrugged, "it reminds me of someone."

"Oh. Well..." Lily's metro stopped.

She stood beside Regina, "aren't you going to get on?"

"Well..." Lily faced her and the doors closed, "if this will be the last time I see you, and that was the purpose of last night, was your way of a goodbye, then...then I want to properly say goodbye too."

"Oh."

The metro left and Lily stood there, "thank you."

Regina said nothing.

"Thank you for...being the most interesting person I've ever met. I liked talking to you and your hairs nice...sorry, I'm just... I'm not good at saying goodbye."

"It's okay Lily. I understand."

Before Regina could say anything else, suddenly Lily took a step closer and another and it felt as if Regina couldn't stop it. Her arms coiled and wrapped around Regina's shoulders, her head laid in the crook of the brunettes' neck and shoulder. Her back slightly arched, she was taller than Regina. She was hugging her.

Regina then felt waves of Kathryn nostalgia. And just like with Kathryn her arms flailed until they found purchase on Lily's back. When was the last time she received a hug like this? A hug that said thank you, a hug that was given by someone who doesn't expect anything in return?

She thought of Henry and his toddler arms.

_Years._

She counted the few hugs she's received in her life that weren't Henry. Her mothers suffocating arms. Her fathers timid nature. And Daniel. She couldn't remember what he felt like. She realized only so few hugs have ever been granted to her freely without consequence. So with that said, she closed her eyes and fully wound her arms around Lily's side.

She breathed, smelling the other woman's faded vanilla perfume and sweat mixed with the elemental parts of the Washington metro station.

"Thank you Regina," her voice was quiet and she could hear it.

She could hear Lily's smile in that whisper.

And just like that, Regina broke the hug and held her at arm's length. She didn't answer, instead she gave that timid smile only granted to one person in her life time. Emma. She had used this one smile with Emma before, back when she presented a hat and the blonde had said she trusts her.

As Lily smiled and looked down wondering what to say, Regina's thoughts tumbled and twirled into one another like a tornado. The only coherent thought was her. The woman in front her, wine, lights, and music, and her real smiles.

That was minutes ago.

_No_, Regina suddenly thought.

That was hours ago.

Thousands and thousands of seconds ago.

She thought about how life isn't in minutes, or hours, or days. Life is in seconds. Everything can happen in a second. A stable boys heart being crushed, that doesn't take a minute. A fathers eyes displaying betrayal and love. A mothers acceptance to your freedom being given to a king. A girl, with hair as dark as night and skin as white as snow, being saved by a woman who once spoke so adamantly and admirably about true love.

Then a blonde being pulled into an abyss of swirling purple. A touch that awake the magic within.

A son being given to her.

The thing about life, is that, it doesn't happen in hours or minutes. It happens in seconds. Seconds that prolong into minutes, minutes into hours. Seconds are the milestone of life. And that's all it took for Regina Mills to decide. To ask the most important question she'll ever ask of Lily.

"Will you come with me?"

* * *

**Past**

Emma stayed next to Regina. She constantly threw fluttered looks towards the new blonde that has joined their motley crew of a group. Regina felt Tinker Bells weariness behind the visage of stubbornness via heart.

"So..." Snow White began and Regina closed her eyes in annoyance counting to ten.

_1\. . ._

_2\. . ._

"Tinker Bell..." She said it so calmly it raised suspicion.

Tink merely raised an eyebrow in her direction.

_3\. . ._

_4\. . ._

_5\. . ._

_6\. . ._

"How do did you and Regina meet?"

_7\. . ._

_8\. . ._

"Well..."

_9\. . ._

She never said 10. Suddenly the ground beneath Emma and Regina split open and they tumbled through. Before anyone else could make a move the leaves covered it solid.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret and David could be heard by both woman as they fell into dark water.

**###**

Emma gasped and rasped as her head emerged. She coughed as the cold water hit her like an ice trenchant. It flowed and clung.

"Regina, "Emma managed as she focused on swimming.

No answer.

"Regina!?" Did she fall with her? _She did_, Emma decided.

Squinting through the darkness she focused her vision, "Regina?"

Stagnant quiet.

She looked around and continued kicking her feet, "Regina?"

Then the waters a few feet from her began bubbling and the fear collided hard in her chest, "Regina?"

She felt something solid wrap around her ankle, pulling her down.

She sloshed and splashed but it pulled and her cries of help were muffled by gurgles.

**###**

This was terrible, Regina concluded. She wasn't quite expecting water. Perhaps a cage or even falling into their camp, or spikes. Something mundane and child-like. Not water. Especially water infested with mermaids. She knew as soon as the water around her consumed her body, how dark it was. How murky and deep, her feet never touched the bottom, everything was confirmed as soon as arms wrapped around her midriff.

_Mermaids_ Regina thought.

She tried screaming, bubbles formed from her mouth. Containing her silent screams. She growled and tried using her magic, but a scaly fin brushed passed her and only a slight spark emanated off her hands.

Stupid mermaid scales.

She closed her eyes tightly imagining the water around her, imagining it clearing just around her eyes. Then she opened them seeing nothing. It was dark, no moonlight shining through, she felt like she was truly lost. She couldn't breathe. Her lungs felt as if they were about the burst from the lack of air.

Then she felt a pair of hands, cold and slimy. She moved her body against the arms wrapping themselves around her waist.

They were going to drown her!

She was panicking. Another pair of hands cupped her cheek. It held her face still, she tried shaking her head. The more energy she exerted, the less her movements became. Until she felt a pair of lips against hers.

Then she felt relief as her lungs expanded.

* * *

**Present**

The little bell above the door ringed through the shop and Rumple stepped into the light from the back room. He held a small vial.

"I was wondering when you'd come, you know-" he stopped as soon as his eyes shifted from the vial to _him_.

"Surprise?" Peters half grin showed as he walked with arms outstretched.

"Can't say I am," Rumple put the vial carefully down against glass casing.

"They say the pandorica is inescapable. So...pray tell, how did you get out?"

"Well I've always been a recusant boy. I have my ways." Peter was now standing in front of the glass case separating him and Rumple.

"Then I suspect, the apple spiders are yours?" He gripped his cane ever so tightly.

"Brilliant right? It took quite a while, but it was worth it, dontcha think?" He sat in midair, his flying ability catching him.

He crossed his legs and leaned his cheek against one of his palms.

Rumple sneered, "is it alive?"

Peters face seemed darker than Rumples, "very."

"How?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Rumple ground his teeth subtly as Peters smile reached from ear to ear.

"What would you like?" Rumple brushed his hair back with a shake of his head and put both hands upon his cane. His business stand in place.

"That vial."

"I would've thought you'd have something more practical in mind. It's just a vial." He picked it up.

"You had it as I walked through the door. Must be important if you were studying it so admirably than to notice who walks through your doors."

Rumple tightened his jaw and carelessly threw the vial to him, "deal."

Peter caught it with finesse and poise befitting a baseball player. He drifted to the floor, holding the vial between his palm and fingers, "deal."

"I except the others will be here soon. Henry will have told them by now."

"Henry? What did you do?" Rumples whole demeanor changed at the mention of his grandson.

He seemed almost...protective.

Henry didn't mean as much to Rumple as he did to Charming. But there was a softness there. A softness that showed throughout his time here. Henry may have been raised by an evil queen and born from a savior, but he was definitely neither. He was the conundrum of both, the peacemaker and job comforter.

"Oh he'll be fine," Peter waved it off as he looked around nonchalantly.

"Just a bruised shoulder, he did get a look at my creations. Needless to say, he was dropping with pleasantness over them." He walked to the door.

"Our deal."

"Right, well, for supposed enemies, Regina and Emma's hairs seem to play nicely together."

With that, the bell above the shop rung and Peter flew into the night chuckling to himself.

Rumple dropped his cane and smirked, then laughed at the inane idea, "interesting."

**###**

The screams stopped, so Emma stopped. She looked behind her and it was clear. No spider, no cinnamon apple smell. She looked around. It vanished.

"I see he stopped," she turned at his voice.

"Rumple," Emma held her sword up, "where were you doing during all this? Was this you?"

She stepped closer.

He held his hand up, the other clutching his cane, "that's far enough Ms. Swan. No. It seems my adolescent of a father escaped the pandorica. And as petulant as you all are, I expect we need to do this together."

Emma's grip tightened on the sword.

"He got to Henry."

That grabbed her attention.

**###**

"How does that feel Henry?" Kathryn's fingers lightly danced across his arm as she made a make-shift sling by tearing her sweater.

"Better," he half smiled at her, "thank you."

"No problem Henry."

He nodded, "okay, we have to go to Gold."

"Why Gold?" Charming just bounded up, soot now mostly gone.

"Is there a reasons you both are covered in soot?" Kathryn asked, now sitting next to Henry.

The couple looked at one another, blushing, "David thought it would be a good idea to...go to the coal mines...and search for more fairy dust... We got distracted."

"Oh." Kathryn smiled and looked down," I see."

"What?" Henry looked between the adults, "what happened?"

Kathryn laid her hand on his head, "you'll understand when you're older."

The couple continued to blush and Henry looked between everyone, then it dawned,"ew no! Okay, no!"

He covered his eyes with one hand, "that's so gross! Aren't you dirty in...? Wait ew no!" He shook his head, still covering his eyes.

"Nooo..."

Kathryn laughed, "Regina always said you were the smartest in your age group."

Silence.

Henry stiffened.

"Oh. Oh no. I'm so sorry," Kathryn took her hand back.

"It's okay," Henry looked back to her, "now I don't have to think about my grandparents."

They laughed.

"So...what happened to Henry?" David knelt besides his grandson.

"He..." Mary Margaret began.

"I fell," he looked down.

"Oh. Well... Is his arm okay?"

"David if his arm was okay I wouldn't have torn my nice white sweater."

"Well you could've just gone inside for something." David looked to Kathryn.

"And go through that goo? Either way my sweater was doomed."


	10. Chapter 10

**AN : So I'm going to leave once again. But first...a chapter :)**

**Also! Please read my new story,"Petulant Queens and Coffee"**

**Please and thank you all!**

**DISCLAIMER : see chapter one**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_Newton had calculated and related stars to people and gravity. How all humans have gravitational pulls. Each person has their own, and the closer we are the forceful it will be. The further away, the less forceful, causing them to pull away. Is that the instance with long distance relationships? The longer they are apart the more distance they become?_

_I hope that is not the case. I hope we are not just stars and our behavior cannot be calculated by a single person._

_-love mom_

"Regina!" Lily ran through the one bedroom apartment.

Regina groaned and turned on the couch as she mumbled,"what Lily?"

"Oh. Good," Lily leaned against the back of the couch,"I was afraid you left."

Regina pulled the covers over her head,"with that insensitive shouting, I just might."

"Oh common, you wouldn't."

Regina threw her covers up and sat up at an inhuman speed,"try me."

"No, because then I'd have to chase after you saying,'DONT FORGET ME.'"

Regina scoffed and stretched her arms and back. Couches were not made for sleeping.

"Why did I agree to stay here again?" She leaned against the back of the couch and Lily looked at her from atop.

Regina craned her neck up to meet dark brown eyes,"because you need to learn how to save your money. Now common, we have stuff to sell remember?" Lily walked around and held her hand out to her friend.

Regina grumbled and took it.

She lead her to the kitchen, where they both proceeded to make pancakes. Each working in amble silence.

"So is there a buyer for the apartment?" Regina flipped the pancake with the silver spatula.

"Not really. The only people who want one roomed apartments is if they have no family or are fairly alone or porn makers."

"Did you mention it has free wifi?" Regina licked her spoon of whip cream.

She knew it was unlike her. But Lily didn't know that, she in fact, liked being different. Pretending she isn't, Regina Evil Queen turned Mayor turned Traveler with no son. She likes just being...Regina.

"That's quite a lot of calories my blue journal." Lily smirked besides her.

"Purple. And calories be damned," she flung some at Lily.

Lily closed her eyes and whipped her nose free of the cream with her hand. Which she then used that same hand to pat Regina's cheek; revenge, as they say, is a dish best served cold.

She was surprised to say the least.

The war of breakfast condiments began as Regina dipped her finger into the pancake mix and poked Lily's forehead.

Let a new war begin.

_Dear Henry,_

_No, I didn't get to have breakfast as Lily started a war._

_Not a bloody war._

_But there was blood involved. She slipped and I caught her. But then I slipped. We both slipped and her shoulder hit the edge of the table. My bruised waist from the other nights adventure down the stairs was also hurt, once again, by Lily's knee._

_I'm not sure if she's the right choice for a companion._

_-love mom_

* * *

**Past**

"Where did they go!?" Mary Margaret was on the verge of a panic attack at losing her only child.

Again.

David looked exactly like his wife, and like all parents who lose their children, they look to someone to blame,"where is she?"

His voice boomed as he stalked towards Killian.

"Whoa there mate," the pirate held his hook and hand up in defense.

"You said you know this island as well as Peter, so where is she?" Charming stalked closer as his wife joined him.

Together they made a starking couple. Eyes ablaze, face scrunched in sorrow and anger. One held a sword and the other a bow with an arrow pointing straight for Killians' head, the pirate at the end of their tense demeanor. If not for the circumstances, one would consider their align movements comical.

"I did not say,'as well,' I said,'almost as well,' this must be a new trap." His back hit the leaves, he looked to Tinkerbell,"why don't you ask her. She's been here when I wasn't."

The couple of a forbidding turned their prowess upon the green fairy who took a step back, hands held in front of her.

"Where is she?" It was Mary Margaret this time.

"They went to the mermaids," Tink found honestly was best portrayed in this moment.

"How do we get to them?" David spoke, sword still held high.

"I-I don't know. I avoid these traps."

"Then why didn't you say something if you knew it was there!" Mary Margaret's voice cracked, destroying the ominous stance she held.

"Because this ones new. He must've put it in when you came." Tink still held her hands high, unlike the pirate, she stood in one spot.

The couple was now in front of her, weapons so close she could practically feel the blades of both arrow and sword. They stood like that, fairy with her hands up, head held high, and the couples determined looks mixed with their arrow and sword. Mary Margaret broke it, as she lowered her bow and loosened the arrow sitting on the latex string. Then David followed, without those necessities of force, they just looked like heartbroken parents pining after their daughter.

"How do you get to the mermaids?" Mary Margaret asked.

"As anyone else gets to them, through the traps, but I can't guarantee you a way out." Tinks hands now clutched her bag swung over her shoulder.

"We don't care, we have to get to Emma," David spoke.

Tink weighed her options, they could be dead by now. Emma and Regina. Then her hand rested on the side of the bag. To any onlooker it would seem she's just fidgeting from the Charmings intensive glare. But to Tink, she was feeling. Then she felt it.

_Lub-dub._

_Lub-dub._

_Lub-dub._

Regina was alive, they were alive.

"I can't show you to another trap, because he's probably moved them by now. But I can show you where the dark underground streams lead."

The couple exchanged a look, speaking with their eyes, a nod from one, then another, "okay."

**###**

Emma wasn't kissed by a mermaid. In fact, seaweed was wrapped around her mouth, forming a bubble of air. She breathed fistfuls of air and struggled against the arms clutching her midriff.

"REGINA!" She shouted but the water muffled her shouts.

Then she felt something around her eyes, like a pair of goggles.

"Open," a female voice beside her ear voiced sweetly and darkly.

She opened her eyes, it's dark. Then slowly, as if sparking a fire. The water turned an oneiric blue. Her eyes focused to a trenchant state. She saw human figures with agate tails, shimmering in the blue light, displaying different juxtaposed colors. When her vision was returned her mind grew fuzzy as she saw these creatures, beautiful and innocuous.

The arms tightened around her waist waking her up from her reverie. Never mind the innocuous. They were deadly she reasoned.

_Or not?_

She's breathing and seeing, so they must not be that bad.

Then she saw her. Brunette hair, blue blazer held tight by two arms, bounding her down. And...a second mermaid. With hair like red auburn fall leaves, contrasting while flowing in the blue light. Her scales displayed a puzzle of different colors like a rainbow fish. Her eyes were closed as was Regina's.

And...

Her mouth was pressed to Regina's lips.

_Mermaids are deadly_, Emma reasoned.

**###**

Regina's lungs took it's fill and she risked opening her eyes. Even if she did she knew all she would see is swirling dark abyss. She did anyway. And what she saw was something else entirely.

She breathed a lungful of water trying to gasp and choked, then seaweed was placed around her mouth by unseen hands and she breathed, still coughing to clear her airways.

She was breathless (for obvious reasons), this auburn haired mermaid. With eyes marching sunset blue waters. Cheek bones high and full, her skin was pale and light, almost dream like for a mermaid. Her lips, pink and plump.

Lips that was pressed against hers.

Regina didn't notice the pair of arms disentangle themselves from her torso. She started sinking like a rock, still, she stared into blue eyes that's captured her own caramel brown. Then the unnamed mermaids hand grabbed Regina's wrist, pulling her back up. Her touch was featherlight and soft. Her skin slimy and cold. But that didn't deter her from her eyes.

It was her eyes, there was fire dancing on water, a sunset upon the ocean.

Regina always had a proclivity for fire blazing across the irises of the eyes.

**###**

Tinker Bell quicken her steps, she needed a moment. Just one moment.

"So how do you know where the entrance is?"

Tink bit her lower lip, "Peter changes the traps every time a newcomers arrives."

Killian smirked, "I went to see the fabled fairy."

Tink answered again, "Hook and I had an untimely, and unwanted adventure."

Mary Margaret's eyes narrowed, "how did you get out?"

"Yeah, Tink, how did you get out?" Killian matched his stride alongside the fairy.

"What happened?" David spoke up.

The fairy sighed, "she likes brunettes."

"What?" The couple spoke at the same time.

True love seems to know no bounds. Especially in talking sequence.

"Ariel's sister..."

Mary Margaret slowed her pace as she took that in, "Ariel?"

"Daughter of king Trident."

"Yeah I know, but what about Ariel?"

"Nothing," Tink said, slightly annoyed, "this is about Ariel's sister, her oldest sister, Attina."

"What about her?"

"She likes brunettes," Killian answered, "she," he pointed his hook in Tinks direction, "offered me to them and they let her go. They don't have a fondness in their cold hearts for blondes."

"So all Emma has to do is offer Regina?" David spoke.

Mary Margaret's face contorted into sorrow, "she wouldn't."

David nodded in agreement.

"Wait, if she offered you, then... how did _you_ get away?" Mary Margaret turned to the pirate.

He shrugged,"beats me. I was just being myself."

"That's why," David said, "I wouldn't even let you near my daughter."

"And yet, she kissed me," Killian walked beside charming, smirk twisting David's insides to nausea.

"She wouldn't do it again..._pirate_," David spoke, spitting emphasis on pirate.

"Not if she has a say in it. I think next time a kiss wouldn't be able to suffice against my devilish good looks. She barely contained herself the last-"

And David's fist met Killians chiseled jaw.

* * *

**Present**

"Henry!" Emma bounded past the gates and there stood David, Mary Margaret, Kathryn, and Henry.

Emma's eyes drifted to his arm in a sling.

"Hey Emma," he half grinned and waved, looking anywhere but her concerned expression.

"I told you to wait in the car!" Emma walked and knelt down besides him.

"I was trying to help," he continued looking at the ground.

Emma sighed and her fingers laced through his hand that lay limp in the sling,"does it hurt?"

Henry looked to Kathryn, "no. She fixed it."

Kathryn shook her head, "I just popped it back into place. He's probably going to need to stop by the hospital when it's up and running again."

Emma's eyes shifted between Henry and the other blonde.

"As charming as this reunion is," Rumple began.

He never finished.

"Oh you're all together now!" Everyone looked up at Pan sitting mid air.

Henry leaned into Emma as they both stood up quickly, Emma held her sword, Kathryn stood, Rumple gripped his cane, Mary Margaret's arrow lifted, and Charming unsheathed his own sword.

A snap of his fingers and they froze.

He drifted down, smiling all the while,"hello."

Their eyes drifted down, their bodies frozen with their heads held up.

"Did you like them?"

Another snap, Rumple cracked his neck,"always hated that spell. Leaves you stiff. Now..."

His arm sprung out and out flew an air of red magic twisting and roping then...it stopped. Right in front of Peter. Peters smile widened even further.

"Rumple. Rumple. Rumple. Don't you know anything my boy!?" He stood in the air as he hovered above them.

Rumples gaze turned sour as the corner of his eyes crinkled and his teeth clanked together, "what did you do?"

"True love! True love is the greatest magic of all, so what happens when you use it...as a shield? An invisible shield." He held up a necklace containing intertwined hairs glowing a faint purple in a vial.

"Emma; is it?"

"Don't," Rumple spoke through clenched teeth.

Peter waved his hand and froze Rumple, "I don't know why I thought you'd be useful unfrozen."

He leaned back and folded his hands behind his head, laying in the air.

"True love," he kept one hand behind his blonde hair and held the vial, "you want to know how to stop my spiders from attacking again?"

He looked at the frozen figures, "what a lively response. I'll tell you," he flew closer to Emma.

"Emma, Emma, Emma, the savior," he sneered, "so you broke one curse, pfftt. I knew people whom broke dozen of curses, except mine, of course. They were never looked at as a 'hero,'" he rolled his eyes.

"But as fate would have it...you're royalty. Hence...your automatically a HERO!" He laughed and then turned vertically, his face inches from Emma's.

"And as fate would have it. Your DNA is apart of my spiders," he smiled,"and in order to create life from nothing, you need...a... Well a special connection. One that can transcends realms and make new life."

He spun the vial in his hands, "and in order to destroy my spiders... You need to have the other half of the DNA it took to create the wondorous creation." His face was now nose to nose with Emma, "you need Regina's magic mixed with yours to destroy my spiders. So let's play a game."

He snapped his fingers, developing in green smoke, and everyone unfroze.

Emma dropped her sword and turned to Rumple, "gold...what did he mean...what does..."

"It means! Miss swan!" Peter stood on the roof mimicking Rumples voice, "that we begin the game of hide and seek! We seek...REGINA! May the best one win!"

Mary Margaret's arrow whizzed past Emma's ear, to the roof. It caught only Peters green teleportation smoke.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN : an occurrence happened to me once while going to a movie theater. Also excuse any incorrect spelling. I'm trying to update this on my phone for the first time.**

**DISCLAIMER : see chapter one**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_People seem to find comfort that long after they've lived and died the universe is unchanging. As if we change and change and change, yet one part of our world does not. I suppose that's why some have children. That even after they're long gone a small part of them still lives on. Which isn't entirely true. I wish it were so. But children are as intangible as us. Children_ _are much diffident, an entirely new person. Perhaps they have your eyes or ears, and they pass that on and on, through the generations. But that's just a part. Not you entirely. Not even you. Just your genes. Unless, of course, you raise them. I've noticed that. Your looks sometimes mirror mine. When you're angry or so determined. Then sometimes I see Emma. I wonder who's child you really belong to. But mostly; I wonder if you still love me. You may not be mine, or apart of my genetic blue-print, but you_ _are the best part of me._

_The greatest._

_-love mom_

"Let's go to the movies today," Lily spoke up from throwing a suspicious looking ham with green lining the sides into the trash.

Regina sat on the counter, pretending she was exhausted, eating fresh black berries. A berry rolled on her tongue as she titled her head back in thought, engaging in Lily's line of sight by leaning back into the white counter.

She hummed, "perhaps."

"Please, there's this movie I really want to see," she threw away an odd smelling mayo.

Regina sighed through her nose, "okay. But after, we come straight back here and finish packing. I really want to leave within the month."

"Okay," Lily's smile reached across her face as she closed the fridge and left the trash can filled with various smells of spoiled ham and fruit.

"You never did tell me why you're in such a hurry to leave. Running from something?"

"Lily remember when you were explaining games to me yesterday as we sold your Xbox?"

"Of course, it was the saddest day of my life."

"You need at least a higher level of friendship than you currently possess now to unlock my tragic past."

"Tragic?"

"Tragic."

Lily stood there for a moment smiling at Regina and left the room whispering, "at least I know it's tragic."

Regina slipped off the counter and looked around. It was bare. No more stickers, no posters of old movies, and no clothes thrown over chairs and pilled into a corner. When she came to Lily's on the pretense of, "saving money," she didn't expect to arrive in a pig pen.

She had asked Lily to come with her.

After she asked Lily smiled rather shyly and hugged her again, more tightly. Regina regretted it almost simultaneously. Lily didn't even have to say, "yes."

They discussed what needed to be done on the metro ride back and walk to her apartment. She needed to sell whatever she had, and whatever money they make will be added to Regina's account. The former queen didn't trust Lily with any money. She grabbed her shoes, neatly placed into a corner where clothes used to go. She wasn't here long, perhaps a week.

They've used every hour of every day just to pull off yard sales, online sales, and so far, all they need is to clean the place and sell it. She then looked at her clothes she wore, a mixture of Lily and her. Lily's velvet purple shirt, she laughed at that one when Lily presented it to her.

_"Here purple journal," Lily threw her a shirt._

_The shirt wrapped around Regina's head, she pulled it off and glared. Her glare was directed towards Lily, "really?"_

_"Hey it's that or ninja turtle shirts and shirts that I decorated. And I'm pretty sure you'd rather not wear ban pun shirts."_

_Regina sighed, "bad puns and kid shirts. Why did I ask you?"_

_Lily smiled, she always does that now. Smile her real smile at Regina._

_"You can't un-ask me now. I sold my xbox for you. Quite my job. Ya know, the whole package."_

The purple shirt was velvet and a button up, she wore it with her black tight work pants. She did have clothes of her own, but Regina's shirts was folded and piled into one area after she washed them, and, "accidentally," as Lily claims, milk just flew twenty feet from the fridge to the living room, onto her nice clean clothes.

Her shoes were simple as well, black monarch lace up boots that reached her ankles. She pulled on a black clear Bohemian waterfall sweater. She felt like patchwork. Stitched together by this person she doesn't know who took a journey and asked a waitress she barely knows to accompany her. She felt like different pieces of a puzzle someone grabbed from various boxes and decided this piece sort of fits, so it must be so. She felt like patchwork and it felt..._nice_.

"Ready?" Lily bounced on her heels, wearing nearly identical boots as her, a loose grey sweater over black pants.

Her sandy colored hair covered the sides of her neck, painting the image she has a slightly slender neck.

She held Regina's bag in her hands, "I know you never leave without this."

Lily looked homely and childish and..._nice_.

"Why couldn't you have given me that grey sweater?" Regina stopped, and glared.

"Because maybe I like your glare."

Regina tried to keep it in. She tried everyday since she moved in. But whatever Lily is, whatever friend she is, she can do this one thing better than anyone besides Henry.

She can make her smile.

And smile she did.

Everything felt _nice_ despite her unfit puzzle pieces, and this bouncy girl. Everything was _nice_. She's never exactly had _nice_ in her life. Henry didn't feel nice, his presence felt new and fresh and amazing. The girl in front of her was just..._nice._

"Yes, thank you," she grabbed the small bag with the journal and her money, slinging it over her shoulder she asked, "what movie are we going to see?" She walked past the door being held open by Lily.

"Dark Shadows," she closed the door behind her and they walked down the stairs.

"I don't think I've heard of it."

"No! Really? Then you'll be ecstatic to see it! It's about a vampire whom villagers took as evil, but really he was just sad and lonely. His girlfriend was killed by his mistress who's a witch and-"

Regina let Lily's voice become music. Not really listening but she could hear. She listened to the way her voice rose and fell, the way she giggled.

_Yes_, Regina thought, _this is nice._

**-A MOVIE LATER-**

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

This wasn't nice.

Being kicked constantly in the back every time she moved even slightly by a chubby, nearly bald, causcasean man.

She had asked him to stop, several times, there was an African American woman next to her, she tapped on Regina's shoulder, "don't bother hon, he's just angry you got a better seat than him."

Regina's face grew red, "he could've came earlier."

Another kick.

She took a deep breath.

"Just ignore him sweetie, he's rich and old," she patted Regina's hand.

Regina gritted her teeth as two kicked were rewarded to her, "so why did he come here?"

The woman whispered, "because the rich part of town lives near here. Even the workers are older and strict."

_Thump_

_Thump_

"So why do you come here if you get kicked?"

"Because I know it annoys them I'm young and rich."

Regina smiled at that.

Then two more kicks were rewarded to her.

She growled and the African American patted her hand again, "easy there. Tell the workers and they'll escort _you_ out instead."

**-AFTER-**

"What did you think of the movie?" The African American woman asked as they stood.

Regina scrunched her face, "I guess it was okay."

"Okay? Really Regina?" Lily piped up.

"Yes, it was okay! Probably not as good as the show it represents but it compensates."

Lily scoffed.

The woman laughed, "well have a good one sweetie. Don't let anyone," her eyes shifted to the man behind them," pester your night. Not all people are pompous and rich."

She began walking away.

"Bye," Lily waved, looking ever more childish, she waved back at Lily, her white teeth brimming then she disappeared behind the wall.

"I liked her," Regina turned to Lily.

"Would you shut up! You're too loud. Couldn't enjoy the damn movie with your insipid voice. I've half a mind to report you," The man that constantly kicked Regina's seat, looked at them, still sitting.

Regina's face turned somber then she looked to Lily and grabbed her hand whispering,"get ready to run."

"What?"

"Excuse me sir, I've asked politely throughout the movie to stop kicking my seat, and I feel this is well justified."

_No_, she wasn't going to let anyone pester her night.

She grabbed the popcorn and her drink. Her and Lily never finished their large popcorn, only a few handfuls. She could stop, she could just leave and let bygones be bygones.

But that wasn't Regina Mills.

As the popcorn cascaded down his growing red face, Regina opened the lid to her cup, also not finished, and poured it down his balding head.

That was Regina Mills. Never letting anyone be gone without a price.

Then she grabbed Lily's hand and looked at her astonished face, "run."

They ran passed the various, "hey!" Shouted by the workers.

They passed by the manager monitoring the theatre, the man whom kicked her seat screamed in anger, the workers tried grabbing them.

Regina felt pure adrenaline flow through her and she pulled Lily along. It felt like magic. Perhaps this no magical world, has one all of it's own. They dodged the hands of the theatre security. They zigzagged through people, knocking a few popcorns out of their hands and flew through the doors into the night air running and puffing.

They ran to a park where Lily finally exclaimed, "I think we're good Regina!"

They stopped and Regina still held Lily's hand as she squealed, "I've never done that before!"

She felt free. She felt spontaneous and..._nice_. Perhaps that's why she'll always do the unexpected with this woman. She grabbed Lily's other hand and spun with Lily, hands conjoined and spun and spun and spun. She listened to Lily's laughter, she smiled wider as Lily's face lit against the night sky. Together they spun then flopped down onto the grass.

"Well I've never committed a crime in a theatre either, so..." Lily looked to Regina laying beside her on the grass.

"Hey that was well justified."

Lily giggled, "I suppose so. Stick it to the man!"

Regina smirked.

Their bodies lay only connecting by their hands, Regina never let go of one hand, and she ignored the disgust she felt for dirt. Their breathing reached normality as they looked at the stars. The stars weren't masked by the street lights in the low lamps of the sidewalk through the park. They lay on the grass, in the open area behind the bushes. Where light was obscured and the stars sang higher.

"So...I don't mean to be rude or anything...," Lily began, Regina looked at her.

"Go ahead."

"What-um-what ethnicity are you?"

Regina thought about it, there was no ethnicity in the Enchanted Forest, there was rank and class. She had thought about it when she was trapped in an ever-looped day.

"What brought you to ask such a stupid question?"

Lily frowned, "well I was-I just-"

Regina laughed, "I'm..." She was light completive, "half and half. Puerto Rican and..." More thought, "Italian."

"Oh."

Regina felt odd talking about such a small thing.

"What about you?" She felt it was only fair.

"I...don't know... I feel maybe I'm half Caucasian and half something else since I'm slightly tanned. Or maybe even part. Because I'm brown...ish? I don't know. In the pictures my mother looks tanned. And well yeah."

Regina looked away from the stars and at her friend, "what?"

"well...remember how I told you I'm an orphan?"

"Yes."

"I was...well I was found when I was thirteen in the woods. They said I wore rags and I must've been there awhile."

Regina looked at Lily, examining her eyes and the slight downturn of her lips as she thought, she looked lost, "do you remember what happened?"

Lily shook her head side to side, "nope. I felt I may have lived in a swamp, so they searched for me. Asking my name. I said, 'I think it's Lily.' So they searched for all the Lily's missing in the world. It took months. Lily Ritger, is my name, or so they told me. According to...'family friends,'" she uses her fingers for quotations, "my parents and I went camping and never came back for two years. My parents apparently died, which is what we assume."

She realized she was still holding Lily's hand.

"And...they were my only family. The,'family friends,' didn't want me. So I was thrown head long into a system I had no memory of. It's like my life began as soon as they found me. Like...it's just a blur before they found me. I do feel...nostalgic towards certain things, but no faces ever appear when I think about my parents. Anyway, here I am," she smiled and gave Regina hands two hard squeezes.

Regina squeezed back, "so you don't know who you are?"

"Yeah, but it's okay, I know my name. I know my parents names, and they must've been nice. I sometimes feel they were nice. And that, perhaps, dancing was their thing."

Regina imagined for a moment, how it would feel to start over and pretend she didn't know her parents, she wanted to pretend her life started when she made Storybrooke.

"Swamp?"

Lily laughed, "yeah, a swamp, or maybe somewhere warm."

"So why did you move to Washington?"

"Hmm...I guess I just felt Florida held too much nostalgia I didn't understand. Like I know there's something but...it won't exactly...come out. I can't remember and that really sucks."

Regina sat up and let go of Lily's hand, she stretched her back, "well now, we'll just avoid Florida, okay?"

Lily smiled again and Regina's chest seemed to tighten, "sure," she got up and held her hand out for the brunette, "ready?"

Regina nodded and allowed herself to be helped up.

**-THE NEXT DAY-**

"Does it have to go?"

"Yes."

"Oh common Regina, it isn't that bad!"

"Yes it is."

"Ugghhh... Okay."

Lily patted the painting, "goodbye my love."

"Oh please Lily! It's just a painting."

"It's a nice painting."

"It's a painting of dogs playing cards. How can it be nice? They don't even have thumbs to hold them properly!"

Lily shrugged, "it's a painting on the grand mind of the dogs."

Regina sighed and grabbed Lily, "we still have to clean the bathrooms."

"Ugghhh..."

**-A BATHROOM CLEAN LATER-**

"Fuck you Regina and your goddamn clumsy hand-"

"Hey! You knocked the spray bottle out of my hand! So is it my fault it busted against the tub?!"

Regina stood toe to toe with Lily.

"Exactly what I'm saying!"

"You knocked it out of my hand!"

"And now we need more! We're trying to save money remember Regina!?"

"Says the woman who wanted to go to the movies Yesterday!"

"Ugh! You're impossible!

"Me!? You-"

Lily walked away and Regina grabbed her arm, pulling her towards her, creating crescent moons on Lily's skin with her nails, "hey! You don't get to-"

"SHUT UP SHUT UP!" Lily put her hands over her ears and ran into her room.

Regina held in her scream. In lieu she growled and went into the kitchen and ground her teeth, arms crossed and leaned against the counter. Digging her nails into the sides of her arm.

Lily screamed into her pillow.

Regina then grabbed a cup and threw it at Lily's door, splaying glass everywhere.

**###**

Lily shot up on her elbows on her pillow, "no. She-no. No."

She ran to the door, opened it and looked around. Seeing tiny fragmented glass reflecting the ceiling lights against the red carpet. She didn't say anything. Her face started to redden as she took deep breathes, _in...out. In...out._

_In..._

"Oh so now you come out-"

_Out..._

"It's childish to hide in ones bedroom you know."

_In..._

"Childish! That's what you are! Why did I invite you!?"

_Out..._

"You can't even handle the simplistic of-"

"DAMN IT REGINA!"

The woman in question raised an eyebrow and leaned against the kitchen doorway, "damn what?"

Her nose crinkled as she said it, "DAMN what, Lily?"

Lily stared back, a spark igniting beginning to flare, "damn it ALL. You couldn't have thrown a goddamn plastic cup!? That was glass Regina! GLASS! Something we have to clean and-"

"Then. Clean. It. Up."

_In..._

_Out..._

"You clean it up."

"I'm sorry, who was the one who ran from an adult argument?"

"Excuse me? It was an argument about spilled clean spray!"

"Pointless argument, there you go. And YOU hid in your room! Now...clean it up." Regina threw a broom at her.

Lily let it hit her and let it ram into the carpet floor, "you clean it up."

"You."

"Damn it Regina if I have to go over there and-" she took a step, too focused on her friends gaze.

Glass tore into her feet.

**###**

"Ah!" She fell back and her head hit the doorknob, "damn it!"

Regina ran across the glass floor, hearing the crunch and twist of each one she stepped on, "this is why I told you to wear shoes prior to cleaning."

"What like you knew you'd throw a glass cup?" Lily looked at her feet and tried grabbing a small piece of glass.

Regina smacked her hand, "don't touch it! And no! I knew you'd test my temper eventually."

"And you throw glass cups when your angry?"

Regina carefully took ahold of Lily's ankle, cold fingers brushing against warmth, "it really alleviates my temper."

Regina looked back at Lily and smiled.

Then Lily, still trying to fan the fire in her irises smiled too.

Then she smacked Regina's shoulder, "I hate you."

And Regina laughed, "I know. Well...it looks like you may need stitches."

Her fingers ghosted along the bottom of her friends feet, careful not to touch any major cut, "but I want to take this big piece out."

"Aren't you...not.. Suppose to?"

"Well I need to press a towel to it, it's bleeding enough already."

"Won't that make it bleed more?"

Regina was no doctor but she was stubborn, "then I'll just press a towel to it with the glass in your feet. Good idea Lily."

"Fine. Go get a towel. I'll call an ambulance and we can waste more money."

"Fine."

In the end Regina stared smugly at Lily as the doctor said it was good she pulled the glass out before applying the towel. Lily ignored Regina.

Regina was left cleaning the rest of the glass as Lily stared smugly from her bed exclaiming, "doctors orders. Must rest my feet."

Regina sighed and counted.

_1..._

_2..._

_3..._

_4..._

_5..._

_6..._

_7..._

_8..._

_9..._

_10..._

Regina opened her eyes and mentally thanked Archies theory of counting.

"Regina I'm thirsty!"

_1..._

* * *

**Past**

It was her eyes that captured and intertwined her thoughts. The eyes have a magic all their own, the windows to the soul. Even the darkest of souls are radiant. Some would say, the darkest of souls are the most captivating. Simply for the reason that it's been through more, it's more confusing, and if the human race is known for anything, it's having a proclivity for the curious.

Regina could feel her cold hands around her wrists, she could feel her magic being tamed and stomped. She was draining her defenses, her magic was being drained. Something tingled in the back of her mind. Something told her over and over to let go. But her eyes. It was her eyes that held her...

Regina couldn't help it, she reached up and touched this mermaids face. She felt a visceral thrill at the touch. The tingle raised higher in the back of her mind, but god this mermaids eyes, Regina felt she could stare forever.

**###**

They began swimming Emma away. She twisted and turned but their grip on her waists and legs merely tightened.

"Aarrrggghh!" She screamed, "Regina!"

She watched as Regina lifted her hand, then Emma kicked, with all her might under the dark, cold stream. She kicked and elbowed feeling their restrains loosen. Then she swam. Magic is fluid, Regina told her. Magic is like a new limb, a new book, another piece. Emma didn't understand that until now.

Until she felt her whole body hum with danger as Regina lifted her hand ever so slowly. She could feel the dark ambience of the water when that mermaid appeared in front of Regina.

She felt her magic buzz and crackle like fireworks inside her as she swam. She felt everything. The mermaids began to reach, and a white light bursted forth through her, knocking the mermaids further and further. It felt like that extra part of her, the magical part, needed Regina to just stop.

She needed to get to her, this place. Whatever it is, it's doing something.

Because Regina would-

**###**

Regina touched the mermaids lips, with a touch as soft as an archeologist finding a shattered cup. She traced her lips and this mermaid with hair like fall leaves, skin as pale as the moonlight, and lips as pink as the morning sky, smiled against her lips. Then she hummed. She hummed against Regina's fingers and in her head, bells erupted, ringing danger. It was patted down by another hum, a tune so voluptuous and trenchantly cordial.

Then Regina's finger started turning blue, slowly at first. Regina felt a small sort of shock vibrate under her fingertips.

_Let go _a voice in her head pleaded.

She couldn't. This mermaid gave her a sense of euphoria that hummed and danced beneath her fingertips.

_**Henry.**_

_Henry? Henry who?_

The blue color crawled down her hand, engulfing it in a bright blue, she smiled again.

Regina's knees felt weak.

Her eyes felt heavier.

Her hand fell and she nearly whined at the sudden lack of touch. Her eyelids fluttered closed until they fully took on the weight and she was out

**###**

Emma swam faster than her legs wanted. She used magic more than she was used to just to keep them away. She was closer, so close she could-

**Boom**

A loud crackle in her ear. Something just...

She stopped, looking up vision slightly ajar. There was the mermaid, holding Regina limp in her arms.

Emma frowned.

Regina's neck was turning blue.

The mermaid held her hand in Emma's direction. She pushed her away.

_"How are dark curses created?"_

_"What do you mean Emma?" Regina zipped up her boots._

_Emma tried not looking, "I mean... Not all require a loved_ _ones heart right?"_

_Regina sighed and got up, "if this is your way of chastising me for my past then-"_

_"No no!" Emma shot up and faced her, "I'm just curious that's all."_

_Regina took a step back, "be-careful Ms. Swan. Your parents wouldn't like you dabbling in the dark arts."_

_"It's just a question..." Emma's eyes seem to grow with her pouty lips._

_Regina gripped her hands tightly to her side, "that's how it always starts."_

_"Oh common."_

_Regina sighed loudly, "okay. Fine."_

_Emma smiled and leaned against the bunk bed._

_"What do you want to know Ms. Swan?"_

_"Umm...what color are they?"_

_Regina raised an eyebrow, "of all the questions...you ask what color they are?"_

_Emma nodded, "I know white magic is..well white and light. But what about dark magic? Rumple has some sort of red thin going.._ _But you have purple, and I couldn't imagine dark magic being purple because...because well you're not not all that dark... Or evil."_

_Regina smiled then. The kind of smile that's soft, filled with emotions reflecting off the eyes. The kind that you could tell the person tried really hard not to show emotion. The smile that's suppose to be blank but turned anew, with a small upturn of lips, then slowly teeth showed proudly, then the eyes...the eyes filled with thanks._

_And just as a rarity in life, it was gone. She cleared her throat and it was gone._

_"Right well. You're right. No. Dark magic isn't purple. Not quite."_

_Emma titled her head._

_"Dark magic isn't a specific color. It's the darker color of you. Did you notice how Rumples magic never reflects the light?"_

_"Humm..." Emma looked down then back up, "what about yours?"_

_Regina felt her heart constrict, "well...mine is a bit different. My magic was discovered with dark intentions."_

_She looked at her hands, so did Emma._

_"But not all magic is dark within a person." She moved her hands in fluid waves, bending her fingers as if in water, "watch."_

_Emma did._

_"Don't think of the bad, just..." Regina looked up as Emma did, eyes meeting and holding, "imagine I'm not all that bad."_

_"That's not too hard," Emma took a step closer._

_Regina smiled once more, looking to her hands as Emma. Emma squinted seeing nothing at first. Then there, being spun with Regina's fingers, a ball of bright purple like smoke. Then the ball sprouted legs tumbling and twirling in Regina's fingers. Then it sprouted a triangle above the legs, then arms. Then another ball of purple light. It sprouted another triangle under it, then legs, then arms._

_Emma watched, intrigued and maybe a little breathless,"that's amazing..."_

_Then the purple shapes seen to accentuate itself. Broadening shapes into people. The outlines of shadows. They danced and Emma smiled. They twirled, one in a dress, one in...another dress. They're both woman, Emma blushed._

_Regina didn't look at the dancing purple hues. She looked at her. The way her eyes lit and reflected a magical dance. But Emma will never notice._

_"Dark magic," Emma looked up for a moment at Regina's voice, then back to her finger movements._

_"Is the darkest part of a person, it can be purple, red, orange, or even...blue."_

_Blue._

Emma realized what's happening to Regina.

She reached, using all her ability to aim. Then something wrapped around her ankle, it pulled with such a furious tendency, her beam of light shot upwards and zoomed past Regina and the mermaid, hitting a stray mermaid who shrieked loudly.

But Emma felt herself being pulled deeper and deeper, until she couldn't see Regina any longer.

**###**

Killian sat on a rock rubbing his jaw, "you didn't have to punch so hard mate."

"Yes I did," Charming sat across.

Killian scoffed.

"He really did," Tink spoke besides him.

"Don't you talk," Mary Margaret sat next to Charming.

The four shot daggers with their eyes at one another.

"Listen, I'm sorry I don't remember if it-" Tink began.

"No. Hush." Mary Margaret stewed and brushed her bow with her fingers softly, "just...hush."

Tink rolled her eyes, "okay, just give me another chance. I didn't realize the stream entrance was guarded by the lost boys."

"You lost me my sword," Charming held his hands in his lap.

"I said I'm sorry!"

"You got me punched by Mr. I'm-So-Charming over there." Killian rubbed his jaw, "again!"

"Hey that was your fault. Twice!"

Mary Margaret sighed, "stop! We won't get to Emma and Regina if we keep arguing."

"Thank you!" Killian shouted, "now tell him to apologize!"

Tink elbowed him.

Mary Margaret smiled, "thank you Tink. Now...is there any other entrance?"

Tink shifted uncomfortably.

"Tink?"

"Well yes."

"Then let's go." Charming got up.

"But it's past the Cave of Truth."

"Whoa! Okay no. I'm not going through that again." Killian held his hand and hook up.

"What's so bad about it?" Mary Margaret stood too.

Tink and Killian sat there, uncomfortable under the stare of the couple.

"I lost half my crew in those caves," Killian looked them in eye, determined not to go.

"I lost the only good lost boy in there," Tink spoke.

"There are no good lost boys," Charming spoke, jaw clenched.

"There was one."

"We don't have time for this, just lead us to the caves." Snow pointed with her bow.

"It's not my fault what happens, okay?" Tink finally stood, taking a step closer.

They both nodded.

"I'm not going," Killian sat, recalcitrantly arms crossed.

"Oh yes you are," Charming stared him down.

"No."

"Yes."

"NO." Killian said it more clearly and tediously.

Charming punched him again and Killian toppled over, eyes closing instantly.

"I think this is becoming a hobby," Charming grabbed Killian, "help me."

Tink and Mary Margaret sighed.

* * *

**Present**

It's been a month and only minor attacks have happened in houses. Houses they had to help clean free of goop, and Emma understood why they smelled of cinnamon and apples. They hid these attacks as well as they could from travelers. But they always comment the smell of apple cinnamon in a certain area.

"Anything?" Henry asked as he ran up besides her.

They walked to Granny's, Henry meeting her on his walks from school, "nope."

Emma sighed.

Henry sighed.

Her arm wrapped around his shoulders, "we'll find her."

"Yeah but she went to great lengths to make sure she's not found. Maybe...maybe she doesn't want to be found."

Emma stopped so Henry did too.

She walked around to face him and knelt down, "hey. Don't talk like that. We'll find her. _I'll_ find her if it's the last thing I do."

Henry half smiled, "can I have a milkshake today?"

"I think your mom would greatly approve."

Henry nodded.

Together they walked through Granny's doors, hearing the little bell ring, "so any sign of Pan?"

Henry sat down in their booth.

"Not a word since the first incident," Emma picked up the menu given to her by another waitress.

"Ruby must be off," Henry smiled at the tanned waitress.

"Hey Henry," she ruffled his hair.

"Hey Peaches, I'll have my usual _but_ with a chocolate milkshake."

"Ohh. Shaking things up today eh?" Her eyebrow with a piercing lifted as she eyes Henry.

Henry laughed, "yeah."

She turned to Emma,"and for the sheriff?"

"Usual _but_ with a chocolate milkshake as well."

She took the menus, "today's full of surprises, you both celebrating Mary Margaret finding Regina?"

Emma froze, "wh-what?"

Peaches scrunched her eyebrows, bright green eyes widening, "oh. Oh you didn't know."

Emma shot out of the booth, "I'll be back kid."

Henry didn't even have time to get up before the little bell rung and she was gone.

He flopped into the cushioned seat of the booth, "she doesn't trust me anymore."

Peaches ruffled his hair once more, "hey you were just trying to help. And you did, your moms spell books are doing a lot, with protection spells, and-"

"If only everyone knew it was her that's inadvertently helping them. Then maybe she won't be seen as the Evil Queen."

Peaches grabbed his hand and Henry looked up, "_I_ don't think she was evil. She always tipped well, so she couldn't be all that evil."

Henry smiled.

"Common. Let me make your milkshake and we'll go over to Mary Margaret's."

"Together?"

"What are friends for?"

"Don't you have work?"

"I got off ten minutes ago."

Henry's smile deepened.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN : man this is going slower than I wanted it too. So longer chapters may be in place in the future and there's going to be a ridiculous amount of flashbacks. I didn't plan this as well as I thought...**

**Thank you all for the comments, you are all lovely**

**DISCLAIMER : see chapter one**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_There was once a theory that stars were finite. That the gravitational pulls were in equilibrium with others. Hence, why they do not pull to the center of the universe and collapse. Although that proved to be unstable. That is why it is infinite, the universe._

_But when the theory of a finite universe with finite stars. If one star got too close to another it would break whatever equilibrium between the other stars and gravitate towards the one star. But if it was pushed by some other force, it will continue to gravitate away. Because other forces would dominate and drive them further apart, because they are now too far apart_.

_Let's pretend that theory is relevant to humans._

_The further away one another is, the further apart they push_ away

_The closer they are, the more dominate the force between them becomes._

_You're probably wondering where all this knowledge of stars are coming from. Well it comes from a girl. A girl I once knew as Krystina. She was simply a cook at first. But people, Henry, aren't always what they seem. Although you know that too well don't you?_

_I wish...I knew that at your age too._

_-love mom_

"You know, you're more accident prone than any child I've ever encountered." Regina watched as Lily put a band aid on her arm.

"That was definitely your fault."

"Well you shouldn't have startled me."

"How can someone startle you when they're in crutches?"

"Like you said, you wanted to gain the title of Master of the Crutches, and you have. You were so quiet. Congratulations."

"I hate you."

"You're welcome blue. Isn't that technically your color now? Blue?" Regina poked her bruised arm.

"Ow! Hey! I don't poke your bruised waist!"

"That's because I'm faster than you at the moment." She glanced at her crutches.

"It's temporary, I get my stitches off tomorrow. Stupid glass. That one was your fault too."

"Are you going to sit here and complain or can we actually finish before the end of the month?"

"Yeah, yeah. Fine."

"Hey Lily?"

"Yes?"

Regina slapped her bruised arm and ran into the kitchen.

"Ow! Hey-! Regina!"

Regina cackled.

**-LATER-**

They lay staring at the ceiling for an hour, "Regina?"

"Hmmm?" Regina hummed back listening to Lily's iPod play Damien Rice, "I don't want to change you'

"I can't believe we sold everything. Even my bed and your couch." Lily sat up and stretched, still sitting and began reaching her toes

Regina snapped a photo and Lily jumped up with a small squeal.

"Did you just-?" Lily looked at Regina fanning the photo.

Regina smirked at her and fanned the new photo, "imagine your life in motionless shapes."

Lily raised her eyebrow, "frozen in time?"

Regina nodded and held the photo for her to see.

"Well at least you got my good side," Lily laid back onto the make-shift bed of sheets and pillows, "adding this to your mysterious journal? Are you going to include the weird photo of me in crutches on the metro too?"

Regina smiled, holding the photo up, "yes. I include every photo I take. I'm going to write, 'petty arguments are best not to invest in,' under it."

Lily laid back down, "how noble of you to speak of poultry arguments."

"I do my best."

They lay now, letting the music wound around their ears.

They listened and when Regina spoke again, it felt like a knife cutting through fabric, "I got us bus tickets."

"When? I mean it's not like we have time anymore," Lily looked at the spinning fan.

"Remember when I went to the store to buy berries? Before the movies?"

"Yes?"

"Well you wondered why I took so long. In all fairness, there was a deal on two for the price of one."

Lily frowned, "you got tickets? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know... It's scheduled for next week."

"Oh."

Silence tore it's way into a dark ambience.

"So...what would have happened if we didn't sell everything by then?"

The song played over twice before Lily spoke again, "you were just going to leave weren't you?"

Regina sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. If she looked weak, she couldn't care less anymore- she already smiles for this damn ex-waitress.

Softly, she hoped only the whispers of her hair could hear, "yes."

It was quiet once more. Regina began to wonder if Lily fell asleep.

Then...

"I still would have run after you. Crutches and all."

Regina felt her lips disobey her by forming into a slow smile.

"So we're leaving next week?" Lily got up and leaned more on her right foot.

Regina looked up, seeing the bright outline of her like the corona of the moon, "yes."

Lily smiled that same smile she's given so freely to Regina that her stomach rolled and tumbled, "okay, I have my bags packed and ready."

Then she limped into her room, closing the door she said, "goodnight you goddamn purple journal."

Her lips betrayed her once more by smirking, "Goodnight Lily."

Regina felt euphoria coiling around her being that she didn't sleep for quite some time. Instead she stared at the dark ceiling fan spinning and spinning. While this former queen laid in sheets and pillows in the living room, a savior was packing her bag for her journey to Washington D.C.

* * *

**Past**

_They couldn't find her._

_Emma was panicking._

_Regina had gone missing and Mary Margaret and Charming suggest they just...move forward._

_Killian said he'll stand by her side._

_Emma grumbled, "we have to find her!"_

_"She chose to walk off! It's not your fault!" Mary Margaret stood straight as an immovable force in front of her daughter who is as recusant as her._

_"We're finding her." Emma clenched her sword._

_"We're moving forward." Mary Margaret reached to touch Emma, "she chose to-"_

_"No!" Emma took a step back, "I don't know what we did but we have to find her. She's Henry's mom too."_

_Mary Margaret looked to Charming who seemed to shrink in his wife's gaze, "my dear husband..." She smiled, "it's Regina's fault for walking off, don't you agree?"_

_He looked to his daughter and his wife._

_"DAD," Emma smiled as well, "we have to find her right?"_

_"Well..."_

_"We have to find Henry," Mary Margaret looked back to Emma, "would if Regina gets to him first and leaves us?"_

_"She won't do that!" Emma practically shouted._

_"Well how do you know?!" The former outlaw sighed and held up her hands._

_"The woman has a point Emma," Killian spoke up._

_"Shut up you!" Mary Margaret pointed one of her arrows towards him as he shifts away._

_She turned back to Emma, "how Emma? You've only known her for a year! I've known her over half my life!"_

_"Because I trust her!" Emma was so close to her mother she could see that slight change in Mary Margaret's face._

_The change that shows wrinkles her brows, and a slight turn of her lip. She didn't believe her._

_"I did once too."_

_"Okay, how about we flip a coin?" Charming stepped in front of the two important women in his life._

_"No!" Emma sounded as if he was joking, "are you kidding me? Henry's MOM. His only mom he knew for ten years is missing! Would if she didn't just walk off?! She doesn't do this! She promised me-"_

_Mary Margaret's head turned so fast Emma thought she heard it pop._

_"Promise?"_

_Emma stopped her words, "yes. Promised. She promised me, her and I are in this together. No. Matter. What."_

Emma's eyes opened, her body felt tired and...slimy. She groaned and sat up on her elbows. She looked up and around. A dimly lit cave by candle light, it looked ominous and impossibly shiny. The walls reflected each little speck of water dripping from them. Her head felt heavy and fusty.

It was a dream. Just a dream.

They found her. They found Regina and Emma reassured herself. They're going to continue this...together.

With a fairy named Tinker Bell.

She frowned.

Then she started to recount her memories. They found Regina, and...Tinker Bell. She supposed she was never going to get use to using that name casually. They were asking her questions when her and Regina fell...and...

_Ah crap._

Emma shot up and the movement itself nearly caused a scream from her muscles.

"Careful, you were just drained by our special seaweed."

Emma turned to look at the red haired mermaid who took Regina. Who...now had legs. Emma decided that wasn't important right now.

"You." Emma walked forward but the mermaid held up her hand, stopping Emma in place.

Emma growled, "let go of me."

She smiled, "the lost boys talked about you. Although they didn't mention how spicy you are. My, my, I'm almost tempted to keep you too. But blondes aren't my thing."

Emma's head tilted, "blondes?"

The mermaid smiled, "hello, my names Attina."

"Where's Regina?"

Attina's smiles widen, "you mean the brunette witch? Oh she's fine. She's just resting in my chambers."

Emma frowned, "let her go."

"I thought you wanted yourself let go? Change so soon?"

Emma conjured whatever magic lied within her and felt anger.

She let it envelop her and focused, "I'm giving you one chance fish."

Attina merely smirked, "can't wait...savior. Besides... Regina will wake up soon from my touch, clearheaded, and she'll remember."

Then she teleported. Regina usually teleports with purple smoke. This was different, water roared and twisted around her body then fell to the floor with a splat.

Emma felt it then, hatred.

She let it course through her and focused.

_"Dammit Ms. Swan! Focus!"_

_"Do you always have to use that same line!?"_

_"Well I wouldn't have to if you were just focused! You're just concentrating! You don't 'concentrate'! You feel! Feel where Henry is!"_

_"If you're so smart why don't you do it?"_

_"...because I'm not his biological mother. Now if we want to find our son and not be pestered by an adolescents words about a blank map, then focus so we can find Henry."_

_"But you said this locater spell can also be used to find true loves! Aren't you his? Like motherly?"_

_"I didn't wake him up and break a curse."_

_"What about if you have a special connection? You said locater spells work if there's a special connections too!"_

_"***scoff*** Henry hasn't given me a proper hug in a couple years Ms. Swan. I don't care how limited your thinking is, just focus and feel and we'll find him."_

She felt, closed her eyes and felt **her**.

Despite everything, she knew Regina and her were connected, whether it by cursed roles or by Henry, but she was going to find her.

Be damned mermaids with the name Attina.

Be damned those stupid seaweed.

Then her heart seemed to fill with warmth. The kind of warmth that is felt when someone you love embraces you, or when you press your lips against theirs and your stomach flutters. Although, Emma wouldn't know because the person she's finding is Regina.

Either way she felt it then.

She knew exactly where Regina was. Her feet echoed the walls of the damp cave. She jumped over a rock, diving into the murky black water and swam.

**###**

Mary Margaret wrapped her sweater more firmly around her waist, "it's getting cold here."

Tink narrowed her eyes, "yeah. It's right up here."

They stopped in front of a high arch cave, blue light from the moon shined down upon them. Killian glared, his hand and hook were bound by vine and his mouth covered in a torn part of Mary Margaret's shirt.

"Don't be too excited now pirate," David clasped his hand around his shoulder and pushed him forward.

"Let's go."

But Mary Margaret stood.

"Snow?" David stopped, "ready?"

Her face displayed uncertainty, "if what Tink and Killian said is true-"

Killian mumbled past his make-shift mussel an affirmed noise of annoyance.

Tink took a step forward, "if you want to get to Regina and Emma, this is your last chance," she squeezed her shoulder bag, still feeling the steady beat of Regina's heart, "common."

Killian glared at the couple but walked to Tinker Bells side, his stance and eyes speaking words of, "you asked for this."

Together, they walked in. Charming and Snow evidentially followed hand in hand.

Halfway through the cave, Tink felt Regina's heartbeat quicken. She began to worry.

"Tinker Bell?" They were half way through the cave when Mary Margaret's voice projected throughout the cave, erupting the silence ten fold from the echoes of her voice.

"Yes?" Tinks' accent reverberated throughout the stone walls.

"What did you mean by, 'she likes brunettes?'"

The fairy hesitated before looking at Killian, "I think, in these circumstances, Killian would be the best choice to ask."

Charming shook his head, "absolutely not."

They stopped and Mary Margaret answered, "okay."

"Wha-? But-" Mary Margaret smiled sweetly at her husband, his knees weakened and he sighed, "fine."

He walked to the pirate and tore off his make-shift mussel.

Killian stretched his jaw, "that really gets you."

"One would think you'd be use to bonds." Charming said.

Killian raised his brow, "how about we stay focused on saving Emma and the witch."

"You're right," Mary Margaret spoke, "so what do we have to worry about with Attina?"

Killian took a deep breathe, as if it's difficult to even say, "she rejected me because I wasn't a magical brunette. She thought because I can travel through lands I harbored magical properties. But that wasn't the case."

"Why?" Snow spoke.

"Powerful magical beings like gods and demigods absorb other magical powers. That's how they stay powerful."

"I didn't even know you speak anything intelligible besides booze and my daughter," Charming spoke and Mary Margaret hit him and hissed a _shush._

Killian sighed, "if you're going to keep insulting me-"

"Killian! Just tell them!" Tink held the bridge of her nose.

He stared deadpan at the Charmings, "she eats brunettes. Steals their power and the rest by cooking and feeding them to her mermaids."

**###**

Humming.

She hummed a lullaby.

_Soft and slow._

_You are my sunshine,_

_My darling sunshine,_

_You make me happy,_

_Her hair was a fiery auburn and her eyes were as grey and blue as the ocean itself. When her eyes met sunlight, the water of her eyes became a sunset orange._

_It was her eyes. Her eyes always captured her. They always swallowed her into the deepest depths of the ocean._

_"See that star cluster there my sunshine?" Regina could feel her voice vibrate against her back._

_They sat in a tree, Regina's back to her front, "yes."_

_"What does it look like to you?"_

_Regina frowned, her childlike features scrunched in concentration, "like a swan."_

_"No my dear, their name is Cassiopeia, named after a vain queen. She boasted and shouted her beauty was greater than that of sea nymphs and shouted her daughters beauty. Both were punished."_

_Regina frowned, "I don't get it. What's so wrong about beauty, that they were punished?"_

_"Beauty is..," she grabbed Regina's hand, "dangerous to those who use them to get what they want."_

_"Am I beautiful?"_

_She smiled against the smaller girls hair, and Regina felt it, the smile that always leads to a kiss to her temple._

_Then she heard her voice, sweet and so soft one would think she's afraid someone may hear her, and maybe she wasn't entirely wrong, "Regina, you're the fairest in the land."_

The sound of shattering glass awoke her and she shot up. Body reverberating with shock and mild confusion. Her mouth slightly opened as she breathed. She couldn't remember. She remembered water, fins, magical bonds, and...

Her eyes widen and her breath caught in her esophagus, she tried getting up. The floor felt oddly soft. It wasn't until she was on her feet that she realized she was lying on a bed. She took a few shaky steps then her legs gave out as a pair of hands grabbed her from behind.

She gasped and twitched, like her energy was used all at once. Her body felt limp and weak. Her breathing was shallow and deep as her vision blurred, a voice so sweet and dark and...familiar spoke

"Hush now Regina,"

Her heartbeat quickened.

"I haven't used that spell on you in so long, you must be tired."

"No..." Her voice sounded small and shallow, "please tell me it's not you..." She pleaded so meekly, it wasn't just her mother that broke everything inside her.

No, one woman couldn't be the only one that ruined her childhood.

"Oh it is," Regina felt her smile against her forehead as this person kissed her temple, she grimaced from the waves of unwanted nostalgia.

"I told you, all those years ago," Regina succumbed to weakness as her legs bent and folded beneath her, the pair of arms tightened as she sat behind her, "you will _**never**_ be free of me. And now that Mommys not here to banish me, I have you all to myself."

Regina mustered up all the courage she had left to say through clenched teeth, "let me go."

The arms around her seem to falter, "you know...your blonde friend said the same thing."

Regina stopped her meek struggling and snapped her head up, "Emma? What did you do? Don't you dare touch her," her voice displayed an unspoken threat as often used as the evil queen, she began twisting and turning her body violently, finding renewed energy, "let me go!"

The arms tightened around her and she felt her energy drain once more.

"Hush now darling, I don't want to have to take your magic away again. Now listen to me..."

Regina closed her eyes and tried not to let that rhythmic voice of hers to overwhelm her, "Remember when we talked about the stars all night long? Well..." She brushed Regina hair out of her face and Regina stiffened and pulled away, "we have so many new stars now, just like I promised...my sweet little princess. New place, new constellations, but remember what I told you?"

Regina thought about it and scrunched her face in annoyance, "no."

"It's been too long my princess, I don't blame you. Cassiopeia, our constellation will always be there. Did you see it? Can you even find it in those cluster of million and millions of stars?"

"Let me go!" Regina did it again, pushed and propelled her body.

But then she hummed, she hummed that lullaby, 'you are my sunshine.'

Regina's body entirely deflated and leaned fully on her capturer, "I've never had to use so much just to calm you before. _My my!_ You've gotten stronger my sunshine. The last time I used that song was around...what was his name? That stable boy. Oh, what was his name?" She practically sang her sentences.

Regina closed her eyes, pain etching it's way into her chest, "Daniel."

Regina began to think Neverland just hated her.

* * *

**Present**

"Dammit Mary Margaret! You knew I was looking for her! We have to find her!" Emma stood in the living room, red covering her face.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't sure if it was her I didn't-" Mary Margaret sat on the couch looking up at her daughter, worry and guilt etching her visage.

"How?" Emma stood arms crossed.

Her mother shifted on the couch, opening then closing her mouth.

"HOW?" Emma leaned into that, projecting her voice higher.

"I-I know you've been trying to use the locater spell you used in Neverland, but...I didn't think it would work. Really. So I tried it by using fairy dust...and I didn't..." She trailed off, shrinking into herself.

"You didn't what?" Emma's voice became more firm, as she knelt in from of her mother

"You didn't what Mary Margaret?" She grabbed her hands.

The woman in question merely looked away, "I found her using the locator spell...I've seen you and Regina bicker over it a hundred times...and we found her. Then I searched...online for clarity."

Emma's heart seemed to become heavier with each word her mother said, "she stayed at a hotel in Washington for a month..."

Emma sighed, "_why_? Why didn't you just tell me?"

Mary Margaret opened and closed her mouth again, as if deciding over and over what should be said.

When she did the ceiling collapsed and in fell Henry and Peaches.

"I thought you said you could control your teleportation!" Henry groaned and turned under Peaches, whom fell on top of him.

"I'm still new."

Emma jumped, watching as Peaches rolled off him, "Henry!? What-what are you doing?"

Henry sat up rubbing his neck, "I just wanted to know..."

"Are you-?"

"Just peachy," he looked to Peaches who looked back with a glare.

Emma looked to her mother, "your grandmother was about to tell me how she found Regina."

"Or!" A voice spoke from the kitchen, "you can actually notice me and ask me instead," there sat Kathryn, holding a glass of apple juice.

"Kathryn?" Peaches got up.

"Hey Peaches, " the blonde smiled.

Emma seemed startled she didn't notice her, "when-? Nevermind. What do you mean ask you?"

Mary Margaret fidgeted, "that's what I'm trying to tell you Emma... Kathryn volunteered to be used as a locater."

Emma frowned, "what?"

Kathryn looked around sheepishly but seemed to find courage as her voice conveyed a sense of gumption, "I did."

Emma's frown deepened, "you...?"

"She loves you," Henry spoke up as if connecting the dots of a puzzle game, and Emma hoped severely "she" didn't mean Regina.

Both Kathryn and him made eye contact.

"And I love her," Kathryn smiled, "despite everything, Regina's my best friend." Emma felt like she was drowning.

"And locater spells can be used to find people you love," Peaches thought about it, "wait...you don't have magic...and you just...found her?"

Kathryn nodded, "like I said, she's my best friend."

"But I-" Emma dug her hands in her pockets, "I did that spell before and found her. Then I tried it over and over here. Why-how?"

"Blue said Regina doesn't want to be found..." Mary Margaret shifted more and Emma's eyes narrowed, causing a chasm of impervious solitude.

"So how did Kathryn-?"

"She thinks I'm dead. So by fault, it wouldn't extend to me."

Henry seemed startled by that, "wait...that's doesn't make sense. Why would she think you're...dead?"

Kathryn looked to Mary Margaret's broken visage, she nodded to the blonde, giving her unknown permission, "well...I knew it would be a matter of time before you asked."

Emma squeezed her nails into her palms, creating crescent moons. Henry scooted closer to his friend. Peaches looked merely curious.

"She called me the day she left, to help take down the border around Storybrooke."

_Regina couldn't breathe. She sat in a corner holding her muffled sobs into the palms of her hands._

_She called Kathryn._

_"Hello?"_

_Regina sniffed and cleared her throat, mustering her mayoral voice which came out in smooth octaves, "hello? Kathryn?"_

_The blonde on the other end froze, she looked at her phone curiously, then slowly she placed the phone to her ear, and almost in disbelief, "Regina?"_

_"I-," how does one ask someone for something so huge? Something so...needed. How do you even remotely just...ask?_

_"I need your help." Regina sat in the corner of her kitchen, holding her stomach and clutching the phone so hard she was surprised it didn't crack in her hands._

_"Why would I ever help the evil queen?" Kathryn leaned against the table in her dinning room._

_"You've never called me that before," Regina slightly leaned and banged her head against the cabinets, clutching the fabric of her shirt tighter._

_"That's before I found out what you did in Neverland. God Regina, don't you even have a sense of right and wrong?" Kathryn sat down, and held the bridge of her nose, "Snow told me..."_

_Regina breathed, "I did it to protect everyone. To protect Henry."_

_"But you did it in front of him. Do you realize how traumatized he is?"_

_"I do."_

_"No, you don't. You haven't even seen him, or spent time with him."_

_Regina voice lost her mayoral touch and voiced the broken woman sitting on her kitchen floor, "No... No, I guess you're right. But I do realize it. I realize it every time he picks up the phone and doesn't exactly...talk to me. I realized it in our last hug. And god Kathryn it hurts so much..."_

_Kathryn sat there, fidgeting with the cloth covering the table, while holding the phone in the other, "is that why you called me? To comfort you?"_

_Regina almost laughed, "no. I've been so alone for so long I have myself for that."_

_"Regina?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"Why did you call me? You never do. Not even when the curse broke. Not once."_

_"I can't be here anymore."_

_"You mean...metaphorically kidding or literally?"_

_Regina chuckled low and sadly, "no. I mean I can't be here in Storybrooke."_

_Kathryn was silent for awhile that Regina had to make sure she was still there._

_"Kathryn?"_

_"I'm still here."_

_"What..." Regina didn't know how to approach this, "what are you thinking about?"_

_"I'm thinking that the barrier is still up and that you'll lose your memory. So what do you need my help for?"_

_"I...I know how to take it down."_

_Kathryn looked up from her reverie of folding the cloth in her hand, "what?"_

_"I know how to take the barrier down, but I need your help."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because love exists in many forms," Regina figured if she just went straight to the point this would move much faster, "and you're the only friend I've ever had in my entire life that has been nice...and good...and everything a friend should be."_

_Kathryn smiled, "is the notorious evil queen saying she loves me?"_

_"As much as a best friend could."_

_"I love you too, as much as a best friend of an evil hell-bend woman can."_

_Regina smiled that same broken smile she's only ever given Emma, "meet me at the town border."_


	13. Chapter 13

**AN : Hello there, Thank you for the reviews, any sort of review gives any fanfiction writer the will to go on. You're all some kind of wonderful! Happy Valentines Day**

**DISCLAIMER : see chapter one.**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_I have days where I can't smile. Days where I don't remember how to smile. Then I have THE day. The days that involve me not wanting to get out of bed, days where I want to lay here. Days where I can't read, or write, or even find the heart to look presentable._

_-love mom_

"Hey Regina," Lily laid next to her friend, "regretting we sold the couch?"

Regina threw a pillow at her."

"Hey hey, common now. I sleep on the floor too. Wanna sleep by me? I have all the squishy blankets."

Regina shrugged.

Lily sat up on her elbows,"you okay?"

Another shrug.

Lily looked to the open journal and titled her head, Regina's hand slammed onto the writing covering her loops and swirls. Lily jumped.

"Private," Regina closed it and held it against her chest, wrapping both arms around it.

"I-" Lily laid back down, "I didn't read who it was to...but um-"

Regina got up, "Lily if you're going to say something-SAY IT. I don't feel like conversing right now."

She walked into Lily's room, flopping on her make-shift bed of puffy blankets and pillows. She felt her hair obscure her vision. She looked at Lily through the open doorway, Lily froze within the blankets covering the floor in the living room.

"Coming to bed?" Regina asked.

Lily smiled and got up, "I snore."

"I hear."

"You snore too."

"I do not," Regina glared at her.

"I _hear_. Now don't take all the blankets."

"Darling I wouldn't dare."

_Dear Henry,_

_My earliest memory is of purple swirls and closets._

_My mother wasn't all that bad sometimes. Sometimes she'd stroke my hair and call me the fairest of them all. The prettiest girl in the world. My father would be besides her, not really touching her, or even making eye contact. He too, would say I'm the most prized possession ever. That I'm the grand jewel._

_But my other early memories taints these somewhat special moments between my mother, father and I._

_I'd disappear in her cloud of purple and arrive in a closest._

_I only ended up here when I had a tantrum, or a shout, or have done a slight dishonorable thing my mother disapproved of. It wasn't all that bad. Usually I'd sit there and stew. I thought it was normal to put children here when they've been terrible._

_Then I met a girl named Krystina._

_She had fire red hair, bright green eyes, and the softest voice that could hold a melody for days. She was thin but not, "skinny." She did have curves and her neck was quite long. Her hair was short, almost boyish short. It was shaggy much like yours._

_She was our cook._

_I was thirteen._

_She was eighteen, or so she told me._

_By this time I've only had play dates with princesses and princes. Dreadful. Imagine being around small pompous royalty and their equally bumptious boring parents that spoke with their noses held high in the air. As if the air below their neck were too worn for their rich selves._

_Anyway, Krystina and I met on our way to the kitchen from the stables. We ran into each other. I to the stables, she from the kitchen. I was running around because it was the one time I could be a child, while my father was out and I was putting away my horse. I was running and jumping and spinning. She carried rows and rows of plates to put away in the shed a little further away from the stables. She had to make room for the new plates we received from a royal I cannot remember the name of._

_We collided, my body crash violently into hers and she fell on her back, and I, against her chest. She was covered in mud and I was covered in sloshes of hay and wet sand. The plates came crashing besides us._

_I was livid._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_Sorry. I'll tell you the rest later and the lesson it holds. Lily and I are going to take her stitches out of her foot. Remember when I told you about that? And our petty argument over a shattered cup? I look back and laugh._

_Sometimes._

_-love mom_

"I don't know, it still feels weird walking, like it'll reopen," Lily tiptoed around the house.

"He said it'll be fine," Regina put down her pen, "you walked just fine last night."

"Because I was tired."

"Then don't focus on it."

"But I can't just **not** focus on it!" Lily huffed.

"You took all the blankets last night by the way," Regina got up and began putting on her shoes.

"I was afraid you'd take them."

"I told you I wouldn't dare."

"You took the pillows."

"Because you took all the blankets."

Lily glared, "common. He invited us to dinner and it's not everyday the landlord likes you enough to have dinner a few nights before you leave."

"He wants to talk about taking the rest of our stuff." Regina looked in the small mirror from the bathroom shouting her response.

"Well he can have it."

"Tonight." Regina clarified.

"It's not like I'll miss it."

"Yes you will."

"We'll see."

* * *

**Past**

"She-she eats _what_?!" Mary Margaret shouted.

Killian sighed and shifted from side to side pursing his lips, "brunettes. Preferably magical ones. And ones she knows closely so the magic will fully bond to her."

Charming and his wife looked to Tinker Bell who undoubtedly shook her head in confirmation.

"But-then-" Snow shook her head, "no. That's not-" she chuckled slightly in non belief, "no..."

"Oh yes," Tinks auslander of a voice echoed through her thoughts.

"Then that means..." She looked up lips parted slightly as she said breathlessly, "Regina..."

She exchanged a worried expression to her husband. They both dashed into the cave. Hook sighed and very nearly stepped back until he felt a slight shove. Looking to his right Tink stood giving him a pointed glare that spoke waves of disapproval of his attempt to leave.

"What? You wanted me to tell them, I did." He said snidely.

Tink scoffed, "it's not that. They deserved to know. It was that look on your face."

"What look?" He smiled and took a step towards her almost waggling his brows, "my devilishly-"

"Oh save it. You know why your "charms"-if they'd even be considered that-"

"Hey!"

Tink rolled her eyes speaking louder, "**don't** work on me."

Hook bumped his shoulder along hers, "well you wouldn't be the first."

"Another blonde not wanting the devilishly "_handsome_" pirate?"

"She's just worried about her son."

"Are you sure it's not the other brunette with the other tragic past of lost loves?"

This time Killian bumped his shoulder a little too harshly with hers.

"Hey!" Charmings feet reverberated through the vastness of the caves entrance, "come on!"

Tink grabbed Killian by the lapels of his jacket and pulled his reluctant attitude along.

"Coming," she responded.

**###**

Emma heard them talking. No, she heard _her_ talking. The mermaid who took Regina.

"_That stable boy. Oh, what was his name?_"

Emma frowned crouching low under a rock. There was tunnels of water leaning from one room to another. She had to make a few detours and used an incredible amount of stealth mixed with quiet breathes but she's here now and-

"Oh Attina does not like-"

"Sshhh..." Emma had to hit her.

"Sorry it's just. Wow, thank you so much for taking me with you, I never thought-"

"Yeah yeah, just be more quiet, they might hear us."

"Promise," the green eyed girl with dark hair matching the night itself said.

"What was your name again?" Emma whispered.

"Peaches, they call me Peaches."

Emma raised her brow, "right. It's very...peachy."

"Thank you," she smiled.

Anyway, as Emma was saying...

She's found Regina.

"_Daniel_"

Emma stopped moving slowly on her knees and hands. Regina sounded so...

_Broken_.

Why?

"Just let me go," that was Regina.

_No? Maybe? It couldn't be_, Emma thought.

"Let me go, _let me go," _oh that doesn't sound good.

Regina sounds...helpless. Her voice broke with almost every word. Emma heard her shuffle as she said those words, like she's trying to escape but has lost all ability to even use force.

"Hush now my fair little princess. Or is it queen now? I've kept up as best I could with your life, _Evil Queen_. Hah! I did not see that one coming, then again...with the power you possess, there was no other option than to be noticed by the dark one. And that little stable boy of yours just..._died_, like a little codfish!" Her voice was sharp contradicting by seemingly soft tones.

"Do you remember when you first introduced me to him? Oh you were so happy and the way you _looked_ at him. That filthy little stable boy. And the way you defended him! My! I've never seen you so..._defiant_, do you know what I thought about you in those moments?"

"Don't," Emma closed her eyes feeling her chest tighten at Regina's cracked voice.

"_Beautiful_. You were so beautiful. I knew then, you had to be **mine**."

Emma's breath quicken as she looked over at Peaches whom had her hand against her chest looking sympathetic for an evil queen. This sounded like some sadistic-

"But I never was."

"Oh yes you were, you are always mine. Even in rebellion, _you are mine_. Now, as your struggling against me, you're weaken, you fall, you lean on me, can't you feel my heartbeat against your back? Just like old times? My dear sunshine, you never escaped me. And you never will. _And_ this time," her tone took on a high happier tone as she giggled, "no one will be here to save you."

Emma thought perhaps this would be a great time to jump out. Just now.

Now...

Maybe...

Or...She could go. She could use her newfound inner compass to find Henry and leave. Then-

Sniffling. She heard sniffling. And giggling.

Peaches poked at her. Emma looked back seeing her green eyes fill with sorrow, she moved her head towards their voices. Even Emma knew she couldn't leave. Not yet. Not without her.

Emma jumped up, stepping atop the rocks, standing high looking down at the woman Peaches called Attina holding Regina from behind, "then you mustn't have heard of me."

The auburn haired woman looked up, eyes wide with either fury or surprise. Either way Emma wasn't paying attention to her. She watched Regina's slumped posture being held by this...this woman. The former mayor and queen, so small crunched into an awkward seating arrangement. Her face was smeared with tears. Not only that she _clung_ to the woman holding her. Like she was the only crutch in the world, the only thing keeping her ashore.

And Emma did not like that. She glanced at Peaches still crouching awaiting her turn for the surprise.

"_**You**_." She said it with almost a growl.

"Emma..." Regina said her name breathlessly only the woman holding her heard, but Emma could see her mouth form her name.

And that's what finally brought her back, "let her go."

"Make me." Her smile formed as she wrapped her hands around Regina's mouth and jumped into the shimmering blue water right next to the bed.

She's a mermaid, of course there's an inner pool.

Emma groaned, "dammit," and ran to jump after them.

Her blonde hair obscured her view once she splashed into the water. It was that split second of blindness that granted the enemy power. Before Emma could react something wrapped around her feet.

_Uh oh._

She kicked feeling her energy drain from her like before. But then this time she felt a pair of hands wrap around her shoulder pulling her up, Emma sucked in new air and wiped her hair out of her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Emma looked up at Peaches, she had pulled her out.

"Peaches." Emma said in response.

"Yeah, hey, are you okay?" Peaches began to pull seaweed away from Emmas' feet and threw it across the room,"special seaweed," she said.

Emma nodded, "she still has Regina, if we go now we can-"

"No, we can't."

Emma frowned, "why not?"

"Attina is the best swimmer."

"Even with a little extra weight?"

"It's never stopped her before."

Her frown deepened, "but-"

"But don't worry Emma, I have an idea."

"What's that?"

"She doesn't know I'm with you!"

"That...doesn't help." Emma sat up feeling that slosh and clump of wet clothes sticking to her frame.

"No! It does. I'm one of her attendings. I keep track of all her...brunettes."

Emma raised a brow.

"She likes brunettes."

"So I see..."

"Anyway, she always keeps them in one spot before the feasting. She takes them-"

"Waitwaitwait, _feasting_?" Emma began wrangling her hair of water.

"Yeah, she eats them." Peaches said this so confidently as if Emma should have known, as if this is a regular occurrence.

That made Emma panic.

**###**

Regina felt her entire breathing system, i.e. her lungs just deflate. The water hit her hard and everything blurred as the last imagine of Emma standing heroically atop the rock vanished. She expected a familiar pair of light toned arms to grab her, or even blonde hair to float in front her. In lieu of that...

She was met with hard rock and a spasm series of coughs racking through her torso so hard she felt her ribs clenching her harder and harder.

"There there darling," her capture's delicate hand rubbed her back as she coughed, "that's it, get it all out."

"What-where's Emma?" Regina managed to say as soon as her coughing ceased.

"Is that her name? Ugh and the way you say her name, like another Daniel."

"No one can ever replace him, you know that better than anyone," Regina looked away from her pool of coughed up water.

"Never mind her dear, the seaweeds most likely to have killed her by now." She stopped and seemed to have a revelation because then a shrieking sound came out of her throat...

"HAH! Haha!" She was..._laughing_.

Regina's hands made fists and she looked away.

"Haha! Oh my! Killed by seaweed?! Can't you believe that!? Ah...killer." She grabbed Regina sharply by her shoulder and pulled her up.

Regina stumbled to her feet with a humph and a groan.

"Now! Alone at last?"

Regina glared like a disobedient daughter.

"What's wrong?" She smiled slightly with brows scrunched together as she held Regina by the shoulders.

"You look the same."

Attina smiled, "thank you darling." She took Regina's chin, digging her long nails into her jaw as she pulled her forward to kiss her forehead.

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Well whatever else can it be?"

"A warning."

The smile Attina held deepened making her look ominous, "everything I did should have been a warning. Every small touch I gave you. Every kiss," she poked her forehead, "every _**little thing**_. But you never saw it, did you? So obedient, so nice, so..." She brushed Regina's wet hair away from her face, "beautiful. Such beauty my love...no one will ever appreciate it like I will, like I _am_."

Regina pulled away but Attina held tighter, "you wouldn't mind waiting for me for awhile, would you?"

Regina knew it wasn't a question, but even as she opened her mouth to say something, Attina's grip became loose. Then suddenly the wall behind her opened and Attina's fingers just brushed...she didn't even push her. It was like exhaustion just allowed her body to obey this woman's feather-like intention. And Regina went tumbling head first into a long tunnel-shape slide.

"Tah-tah my fair queen!"

That was the last Regina heard as her vision darkened the further she fell.

**###**

"You're positive Emma and Regina are this way?" Mary Margaret asked the further they delved into the cave.

"Positively," Tink replied.

"Well I think it's incredibly, positively stupid," Killian said.

"Shut up pirate," Charming responded.

"How do we know when we get nearer?" Snow asked.

Tink held her satchel tighter searching for the heartbeat, hoping.

_Lub-dub_

_Lub-dub_

She sighed, relieved they're not too late.

"Oh you'll know," she stepped over a rock.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Snow spoke.

"It means stop asking so many questions, we'll get there, when we get there." Killian sighed, trying his best to navigate through high rocks and rugged terrain of soil with his hands tied.

"Hook is starting to insult more and more, I think we're fairly close," Charming said in a mocking manner.

"Actually," Tink spoke, "that may be true. The closer we get the more truth we speak."

"Or it could be Killian being the useless whiner like usual." Mary Margaret spoke.

"Or it could be the ever kind Snow White making insults now," Killian said.

Snow gasped and stopped, "is that true? Are we close if I'm-?"

Tink did her best not to laugh, "yes."

So they continued with a few choice comments on rocks by Killian. The cave became wider and wider until a light ahead brightened.

"What's that?" Charming asked.

"Torches," Snow replied.

"Yes," Tink took the lead despite Snows look of annoyance.

The fairy held both arms out to stop the trio, "stop."

"What?" Snow said shoving Tinks arm down.

"You best listen to what the fairy's going to say." Killian said.

"Hey you don't-"

Charming touched his wife's arm, "Snow...if a tided up pirate just said to listen with sincerity I suggest...we listen."

Both looked to Tink.

"Before you go in you may as well know the history of this cave."

They nodded, Killian grunted.

"A goddess named Sandea-"

"Sandea? Are you kidding me?" Snow said crossing her arms.

"I know it's hard to believe but she's a Greek goddess, she likes to change her name. Here, she is known as Sandea, on earth she's known as Theia, and you may know her as Euryphaessa, isn't that what they called her in the Enchanted Forest?"

Mary Margaret gasped, "but-she-she's just a myth."

"No. She's just as real as you and me," Killian said.

"Well did you ever see her?" Charming said.

"_See_ her?" Tink snorted, "I fought her. Here, in this very cave."

The Charmings mouths dropped as they gasped.

Tink continued, "this cave use to belong to the only good lost boy there was."

"There are no-" David began.

"Yes! They do exist! Well...one. His name was Rufio. Him and Peter clashed together more than any other lost boy squabble. Rufio wanted more freedom for him and the boys. And...well he eventually ventured off on his own. I found him and together we found a...home," Tink looked around, "yeah we found a home for him. Just him."

She looked at Mary Margaret's sympathetic face,

"It just happened to be the resting place of a goddess. You see... Goddesses and gods can suck magic from magical beings."

"Is that why Attina chose Regina? Because she has magic?"

Tink kept her hand on her satchel feeling the rhythmic thumping of the brunettes heart, "yes. But Sandea's was different. She slept here because of the island. It's powered by children's magic. The innocent and pure have magical properties all its own. When Theia became Sandea it was because her daughters, the sun and moon trapped her. There's not much myths about her. Her children made sure of that. She became... Attached to magical beings."

"How?" David asked holding his wife's hand.

"Well...what are gods always after?"

...

Silence.

"Power," Killian said, "that's what I'd get if I were a god."

Tink nodded, "This island is special. There's nothing like it in existence. So imagine if you could harvest the power of that."

The married couples looked mirrored one another. Their thoughts spoke on their visages, "doom. It would bring doom."

"Yes," Tink said, "but the thing is... A child's innocence is stronger than any God or Goddess. She was eventually trapped by a young boy who's name was lost forever by time itself, only to replaced as...'shadow,' or to be specific now...Peter Pans shadow."

"And...and Rufio just woke her up?" Snow asked.

"Accidentally."

"How do you _accidentally_ wake a goddess up?"

"As any other being in the universe. He was simply too loud."

* * *

**Present**

_"I'm not going with you Emma," Regina took a step back._

_"What? Of course you are, Henry will-"_

_"Henry understands." she's so beautiful, the way her dark short hair tucks behind her ear as she smiles._

_"No he doesn't! He asked and he-"_

_"He will understand. He does. He just won't know it yet." Her eyes are suddenly sad and far too serene to be an evil queen._

_"But-"_

_"I'm not leaving her. Not yet. Not while she needs me as much as I need her." Now she's definitely smiling but not at her, at someone behind her, but Emma can't look back, she feels that if she does Regina will disappear._

_"Her? Who's-? I don't-"_

_Suddenly Regina seemed to be fading. But that's not possible, she didn't look back. She shouldn't be fading, not yet. Emma isn't ready._

_"Regina?"_

_Her image became distorted as purple smoke surrounded Emma._

"Regina-no!"

Her stomach jolted like your falling, as if your stomach wants to hit the floor first.

Emma's frame hit the creaky wooden floorboards at the bottom of her bed. The white sheets tangled in her legs and for a moment she panicked. She nearly screamed when she rolled her body kicking her legs untangling the blankets. Free- she crawled away from the bed gasping lungfuls of dusty air that followed her from under the bed.

Her mind, still perplexed, worked overtime as she rasped out, "Regina!"

She was gasping, as if every air flowing through her lungs and veins fought desperately for naught. She looked around, the gears within her brain slowed. She took in her surroundings, and began to think. Hearing distance footfalls she shook her head into silence.

"Dreams," she said to the dark blue room filled with cascading moonlight, "it was a dream."

She got up and sat, oddly stiffened. Sitting still she only realized then that she was shaking. Her legs shook slightly, her arms felt cold, her hands couldn't quite clasp together for self comfort.

"Where are you Regina?" Because for a moment within her armor, she knew, she just knew Regina did not want to be found.

Emma searched and searched and yet...it wasn't her that found her. It was Kathryn, is there any knight out there that's as much of a failure as she is? Emma wondered. She wondered about that and what would have happened were it not for Kathryn. For a moment Emma allowed herself the pity and preamble of a sorely written monologue building within herself at the lose of Regina Mills. She felt the despair that it wasn't her. That no matter what Regina will always be a step ahead, she'll always claw her way to catch up with the former mayor.

She'll always miss her by just an inch.

And so...Emma lamented for a brief moment.

Then she shot up, grabbed clothes and stuffed them into a bag.

She couldn't wait any longer.

**###**

Mary Margaret heard her daughters soft cries. She heard the loud," Regina-no!"

It was Mary Margaret's soft footsteps that Emma heard she just didn't realize it in her despair, and it was Snow that remained on the other side of her daughters door, pondering whether she should knock or just walk in. Despite what everyone says, she's not as nosy as she seems. She can give people space.

And right now, Emma needs space away from her. Especially since she kept the secret about Regina from her daughter.

But if the need arises, she'll burst forth wrapping her daughter in her arms with pleasant coos and shushes. So here she sat, listening to Emma rummage about.

"Grandma?"

Snows body shook slightly but not visibly, a gift given when she was a bandit, never look surprised, "Henry."

Henry whispered, "what are you doing?"

Mary Margaret opened and closed her mouth, "um..I-I just-"

"You couldn't sleep with her footsteps either?" Henry stood a few feet below in his pjs, his long Greek-like toes peaked out, his hair a tousled mess sticking out in tuffs, and his eyes...same as Emma's but held the poise and concern as a queen.

Which is weird when Mary Margaret thinks about it. He's a prince, yes. But Regina raised him, so his eyes not only showed Emma but it showed the brunette woman as well. It showed her and all her glory in raising this child. His back arched slightly and his hand remained on the rail looking into her, no...he _gazed_, he gazed as other mom does.

"No..." Mary Margaret said it too late and perhaps a little too loud because then the door to Emma's room opened.

"What are you doing?" Emma's voice sounded far too casual, like a business woman's voice.

"Um," Snow scrambled up to her feet, "um."

"You're too loud," Emma looked down, finally noticing Henry when he spoke.

"Oh." Emma looked back to Mary Margaret, "then why were you on the floor?"

"Um-"

"What are you doing up?" Henry bounded up the stairs laying a quick hand to Mary Margaret's back leaving a silent reassurance.

"Hey-"

Henry ran past Emma and ignored her annoyed look and rude hi, "are you packing?"

Henry looked around and turned this way and that, he slept on the couch most days now, "where are you going?"

"Henry..." Emma had that look that spoke sternly of denial to anything he may say next.

"Where are you going?" Mary Margaret stood in the doorway.

"Do you both really have to do this now?" Emma sighed frustratingly, running her hands through her hair.

"Do what?" The former bandit stood with arms crossed.

"Be nosy and annoying! Just-"

"I'm not annoying," Henry spoke.

"Kid."

"Emma!" This time Mary Margaret did step into the room, "don't talk to Henry like that."

"Well maybe if he just minded his own business-"

"Emma!"

"I do!" Henry glared.

"No, no you don't! You make crazy accusations! Maybe I didn't want you two to know where I'm going! Maybe it's something I have to do BY MYSELF." Emma shouted.

"Emma Swan!" Mary Margaret took a low looking Henry into her arms, "he's your son!"

"No! He's Regina's! I didn't even want to come in the first place! He forced me to!"

"You fought to-"

"No! Do you know why I stayed? Huh?! Because of the woman who left! Henry was a brat who didn't know his own mother loved him! I stayed because I asked her if she loved him. And do you know what she said-?!"

"Yes." Henry spoke and pushed his grandmother away.

He straightened his back and narrowed his eyes. He's seen Regina do this before she battles someone in her office. After all, he's done this with Regina so many times. His stance is perfection by now. Emma's face sobered.

"She said yes," Henry's voice sounded calm laced with slight anger, "so why did you stay?"

Emma frowned, "why don't you ask your mom. When I come back with her," she resumed packing, fuming at how much he resembles the former mayor.

"You're-you're going after her?" Henry asked.

"Yes." Emma said it quickly.

"We don't know where she is in Washington right now." Henry started to ball his fist tightly.

"Well it's a start, I think I'll be able to pinpoint where she is if I was there myself."

"And you didn't think about telling us?" Mary Margaret asked seemingly sad.

"I was going to leave a note."

Her mother huffed, "a note? Really? Like that'll help."

Emma turned around, "listen okay? I'm going to bring her back. That's all you need to know."

Henry was still glaring at her like the little prince he is, "we're going too."

"No," Emma turned back around.

"She's my mom."

Emma sighed and grabbed hold of her suitcase and leaned, "Henry..."

"No, she's _my_ mom. And you don't get to choose whether or not I'm allowed to help find her. You don't get that choice."

"Yes, I do."

"Well you didn't want to come anyway, therefore you don't really get a choice."

"Henry," Emma turned around, "I'm sorry. It's just...this is something I have to do myself, okay?"

Henry's armor began to chip, his eyes started to water, he was frustrated beyond repair, "I hate you."

"Henry..." Mary Margaret jumped slightly at his tone, "don't speak to your mothe-"

"No, she's not." And with that Henry ran out of the room.

"Henry!" Snow called after but didn't follow, instead, she rounded on her daughter, "_what_ is _wrong_ with _you_?! He misses Regina! Probably more than you and I right now and you're just-"

"No."

"What?"

"No," Emma scoffed, "he doesn't get to come with me. If Regina is still in Washington then I have to go. You would all just slow me down."

"But we could help, like a family."

"Stop saying things like that. Besides...he has Neal now."

Snows eyebrows raised, "is that what this is about? Neal? Emma if you still love him you should-"

"Why do you keep saying that?!" This time Emma did turn around and face her mother red faced with tears begging to spill.

"I do not love Neal."

"But you act..." Mary Margaret trailed off.

Emma chuckled sadly, "just stop. There's a reason I want to find Regina so badly. Not only does Henry need her..._I_ need her."

Mary Margaret gaped slightly, "oh, Emma...no."


	14. Chapter 14

**AN : Hello everyone, so the ending will seem rushed for the reason that its suppose to be. This is a really long chapter because an event in my life may or may not happen tomorrow so...I won't be able to update for a long ass time, like shit-man-where-are-you-long, but i promise you this, i will come back and finish this. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS, it really helped me continue.**

**(sidenote : hello I reread this and found mistakes that have now been fixed. Also to ShipHappens, I'll be just fine, it's good kind of event.)**

**DISCLAIMER : see chapter one**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_It was her hair that captured my attention first. Fire and autumn leaves waltzing as one. It shone like a ruby in the light. It sparkled like blood in the moonlight. Then her eyes, her eyes spoke waves of both the ocean and sky. She was fire and water mixed terribly together like a future leitmotif whispering dangers in the simple accident of me running into her._

_She looked up and said, "oh my- I'm-" then those ocean of eyes widen showing me waves and untold adventures in the sea, "princess... I'm-"_

_I ran._

_Any anger dissipated._

_I knew then, we'd be friends._

_-love mom_

_P.S.- do you think it's weird that someone...would throw their whole life away for a singular person?_

Regina's hands trembled as she put her pen down. She watched Lily's sand colored hair cascade in springs over her shoulder. It's not that her hair was necessarily curly. It just seemed to curl slightly after she's showered, it bounced as she did among the stain tiled kitchen floors. She was chattering about talking to the landlord, about her famous hamburger helper, and especially about leaving officially, tomorrow.

They're leaving tomorrow.

On a bus.

To someplace different and completely avoidance of Florida. She cooked, her pajama bottoms like silk against her curves, towel draped casually in her hair. She talked about leaving these small things behind, like her pots and pans and blankets. Regina watched her mouth move but she couldn't quite hear her over the roar of the vent above the stove.

She talked and talked and Regina felt the small apartment become smaller. She felt her hands shake on the journal laid closed in front of her, she sat on the floor under the window that looks out into the streets. Loud cars roamed by with talking mufflers and music.

_Life_ she thought, _is this_.

It's girls with bouncy hair welding moderate cooking skills, loud cars and music, and...almost blue journals. But she felt so...not alive. She felt panic. Manic panic that she ran. She ran past Lily knocking over the cup of water, she ran past her shoes, suitcase, leaving her journal behind and RAN.

Because as soon as the notion of life began she couldn't breathe. She needed air. Her feet hit dirty carpeted floors smelling of old urine and cleaning products that did more harm than good in the hallways. She pushed open the heavy metal door and her feet made slapping sounds against cheap marble tiles. Her breathing became ragged as she ran up the stairs two at a time.

_Regina_!

She heard her name being called by...Emma?

_No._

_Regina!_

Emma was after her, she was sure of it. She knew she couldn't run forever. Not from her.

But the thing was...Regina didn't want to be caught. She didn't want to go back. She didn't want...anything. Not at the moment.

She wanted silence.

"Regina!"

"Shut up!" Regina shouted and pushed open another metal door and then her feet hit hard cold brick.

"Regina!"

"Shut up shut up shut up!" She jumped with the finesse and talent granted to her by chasing her son when he was small.

She jumped and her feet hit the edges of a brick ledge. Balancing she stood.

"Regina." The voice was quieter, Emma was quieter.

Regina didn't listen. She looked down and saw the cars pass by silently yet loudly, how did they manage that? The wheels seem to pass with such force against gravel it could be heard from the ledge. She could have silence. She could have peace, if she just...took one small step.

She could have silence...

If she just...

Something warm filled her hand, "Regina."

She looked back for the first time expecting blonde hair but was greeted with..."Lily?"

Lily held her hand tightly.

"Regina I- um...maybe you should get down." Her chest heaved with each lung full of air and her eyes danced with unwanted concern.

Regina observed her wet hair, bare feet, and slightly shivering frame.

"Why?" Regina tried pulling her hand free but Lily's squeeze tightened.

"No, no, don't do that! Um- just...let me... Um...please?"

"Why?" It seemed the only word that could form within her mouth.

"Why? Well...I don't-I mean-because Regina. It's cold and your barefoot and-"

"Why Lily?" Regina couldn't understand why Lily looked so concerned, "the view is amazing right here."

Lily didn't look, her brown eyes focused on Regina, she opened her mouth, closed it, then pursed her lips, "Regina. Please get down."

"Is that all you can say? A beautiful view and all you can form is, 'Regina Regina Regina, please get down.'" She mocked her.

Lily looked appalled, "okay. Well, how about you sit? And-and I could..."

"Could what?" Regina looked at Lily's shivering form.

Why was she shivering? Regina scoffed.

"Hold you, I could hold you and I'll watch the view of the city too? And we'll be warm-"

Oh. It's cold. That's right. It gets cold once sunlight is gone. Regina let Lily's voice hum in her ears like a bee.

"Let go of me Lily," Regina tried prying her hand.

"No! Lily grabbed her wrist with her other hand, looking completely frazzled.

"It'll be okay!" Regina pulled and leaned.

"No! Regina stop that! You're going to fall!" Lily took a step closer, "and if you fall I'm jumping after you."

_**Jump?**_

_After __**me**__?_

_What on earth was she so afraid of?_

The wind picked up and Regina woke up from her reverie. She found herself on the roof, feet freezing on the edge of the brick wall, tank top not fully warming her, long silky blue night pants flowing around her like water. She finally held onto Lily tighter and leaned forward towards her. Air, chill, and panic flowed through her at once and before she could catch herself she was falling towards the ledge. Towards the cars below.

But...

Instead she collided with Lily's warm body on the roof.

"Holy _shit_ Regina!" Lily wrapped her arms around Regina once they hit the ground, "what in gods fucking name were you fucking thinking!?"

She held her and the cold air flowed around her, like it wants to touch her but Lily didn't allow it. She held her on the roof and Regina was too stunned.

"You-"

"You are a- _god dammit_ Regina!" Lily sat them both up and looked her over, "are you okay? You didn't hurt yourself did you?" Her hands and eyes roamed Regina's form, she used the same tone asking her these questions as she did while cursing at her.

She felt exposed suddenly, she got up, "of course I am." She tried walking away but then Lily shot up and wrapped her arms around Regina's torso from behind.

"What are you doing?" Regina stiffen.

"Don't go back up there."

"I-"

"I'm not letting you go until you tell me you will NOT do that again."

Silence.

Because what did Regina expect? She didn't even know what she was doing it. It felt like her body moved on it's own and she was merely a passenger on a voyage that set off without her consent. She-

"I promise." That was fast.

Lily sighed leaning her head against Regina shoulder, and her arms slacked causing warmth to fill Regina's stomach as they wrapped around there, "okay."

They stood like that, listening to distant sirens and conversations so loud they drifted through the wind creating new sounds. It was cold Regina decided. They stood like that with Regina stunned and warm, save for her feet, which she was sure may have frost bite by now. She wanted to move, to get away but-

Lily realized what she was doing and jumped back like she was touching an evil queen. But Regina grabbed her hands that held her stomach and held.

"Just a little while longer."

She didn't need to turn around to know Lily was stunned by that statement.

She felt Lily's hold around her tighten, "I caught you again you know."

Regina scoffed, "yeah."

She closed her eyes, "why-um," Regina licked her lips, "why did you-?"

"You have all the money." She heard Lily say beside her ear.

Regina laughed slightly.

"Regina?"

"Yeah?"

"It's really cold, and I'm not saying I can hold you in the comforting warmth of our living room but...-"

_Our living room_. Regina said that within her mind as a dark omnipresent leitmotif.

**###**

Lily burned the hamburger helper chasing after Regina.

Yet, somehow it was the best meal Regina's ever tasted.

They now lay side by side in the pile of blankets and pillows in the living room that held no life besides them. The walls were barren and the floors only held them. No indication that someone argued over spilled cleaning products, no sign that anyone lived there.

Regina dare not touch Lily, nor did Lily lay a finger on her after the incident on the roof. In fact, Lily was oddly quiet.

Regina had asked her to lay by her. Just for "awhile."

"Awhile" had been...well a few hours. Music filled the darkness from Lily's iPod. Lily said she'll stay as long as Regina wanted her. Regina felt...she felt she shouldn't be alone. So here they lay.

"Why did you agree to come with me?" Regina spoke interrupting violins playing Canon.

Lily was silent and Regina wondered if she fell asleep, she wouldn't be opposed if she did. Lily had, in fact, been trampled by Regina's body in the cold. She had chased her and saved her. Lily deserved some rest. She-

"I don't know."

Is still awake.

Regina frowned, "I thought you were asleep."

"Is that why you asked the question? Because you thought I was asleep?"

"It seems saying things while someone is asleep is the most appropriate time to ask an important question."

Silence.

"There had to be a better answer than just that, Lily."

"You're going to think it's selfish."

"Maybe."

Silence.

"You'll never know what I think until you say it." Regina grabbed Lily's hand, she felt her companion freeze.

"I-I thought you were the easy way out."

"Oh." Regina let go of her hand.

"Told you." She reached for Regina's hand again, but Regina scooted further away.

"No, it makes sense. A scared waitress with no ambition in this world. No friends of her own. No family. I would do the same once someone rich and lonely came along too."

Silence.

"Please say something." Regina felt the quiet would cause another...whatever that was that happened earlier.

"It's not like that."

"Oh?"

"Yes. It's...I just...I thought if I didn't say yes I'd never meet someone as mysterious as you, and- I don't know. I didn't want to go because it was _easy_."

"You just said it was the _easy_ way out."

"Regina-"

"No, I do understand. I-"

"Dammit Regina. Just...listen for once okay?"

Regina wanted to argue she always listens. Even to drunk rants. In lieu of that, she did not say a word.

"Thank you," Lily spoke, "I wanted freedom. And you're giving it to me in the most profound ways. It isn't easy, sorry I said that, because it isn't. It's hard. It was hard selling my life away. The first life that's officially mine since I left foster care."

"It's not right to just throw your life away for someone new."

"I'm not doing that."

"You are. Just like a stupid love sick puppy."

"Well I'm certainly not in love with you. I just," she rolled and Regina felt a heavy weight on her chest and torso.

Lily was on top of her, she couldn't exactly see. But she felt her.

"Not in love eh?" Regina laughed awkwardly but felt entirely uncomfortable.

"I um-Regina?"

"Yes?"

"I wanted to get to know the woman with a blue journal."

"Purple."

"Yeah, but I wanted to know her so badly. And suddenly she's asking me to go with her. I wanted to get to know the fore-lone looking woman and I am. She's like one of those impossible ten thousand piece puzzles with the smallest detail, and it's like I have five different boxes containing different pieces and I only have to do one puzzle. But the puzzle pieces are shuffled with other puzzle pieces and I have to go past those pieces in order to get what I want. It feels like every time I do get a piece...it doesn't quite fit. Like I have the right piece but I need to build more in order for it to fit. It doesn't belong yet."

Regina slightly pushed Lily's stomach, asking with merely a touch to get off her.

"But you didn't have to throw away your life."

She grabbed and squeezed Regina's hand once then sat up off of Regina, "I like to see this as a new life. Like...an entirely new book with a pretty cover and everything." She patted Regina's hand and let her go.

"Goodnight." Lily said and stood up, about to make to way into her room to set up her own bed of blankets.

Regina bit her lip, "I'm not getting you up. My alarm is loud enough for the both of us. There'll be less blankets to fold for the owners and it'll be quicker than our usual routine of me trying to get you up."

_What a horrible excuse_, Regina thought.

_She'll never believe me. She's going to leave just like everyone else._

Silence seemed to morbidly stretch the length of time. Regina felt Lily's form standing above her and Regina begged her mentally to just decide, then she wanted desperately for Lily to go, because she was going to cry from the wait. Then she heard shuffling and a lingering presence to her right.

"Okay." Lily's voice wrapped around her frame creating a calm atmosphere.

Silence once more.

"I'd be scared to sleep alone after that roof incident too." Lily spoke quietly and Regina couldn't be more grateful.

She waited. She waited until Lily's breathing became even and slow.

"I think I hand those pieces of my puzzle to you. Each and every time. Thank you Lily." And for the first time since Regina has spoken to sleeping forms, she wished desperately for Lily to hear her.

Lily continued to breathe evenly, even snoring slightly.

Regina closed her eyes. She drifted on the board line of sleep when...

"No, thank you."

_Dear Henry,_

_It took a little longer for Lily to get up, but she did. Today we are leaving. It feels...odd. Something like leaving Storybrooke._

_Do you think when people leave a certain place they leave a piece of themselves? Even if it's something small like a hotel room. Like you have a lingering feeling you left your shoe or sock, but it's not. You know you have everything with you but...you don't. A small fraction of you is there._

_-love mom_

**###**

"Regina!"

"Yes?" Regina was sitting in the kitchen taking one last look around.

The stained tiles, the small window, and the counters. The quotidian routines of making dinner with Lily. It's been so long since Regina had actually made dinner with someone else. It was almost foreign with Lily's laughter reaching her ears. It was almost serene whenever Regina taste tested Lily's odd cooking, which mostly consisted of boxes that had directions on it.

But it was okay.

Regina had-_has_ someone now.

Lily came running around the corner, "oh thank god. There you are!"

"Me?"

"Yes! I saw your shoes gone and your tiny shoulder bag and I just...after last night..." Lily fidgeted, "I mean it's not that I don't trust you because I do! It's just-"

Regina jumped off the counter, "I know Lily."

Lily raised a brow, "really?"

She nodded, "how about we get ice cream before we go?"

Lily smiled, "of course. Let's go my purple journal."

"You got it right..."

"For once."

* * *

**Past**

_"Sorry I've been gone for so long my fair princess," her voice was a soothing balm wrapping around her brain._

_"Krystina!" Regina jumped to hug her auburn haired friend._

_"Hello my fair princess," she picked up and spun Regina._

_The princess laughed, "you took forever!"_

_"I'm sorry," they let go and Krystina sat upon the wooden gate of a stable._

_"No, it's fine, Irene-" Regina started but was interrupted._

_"Hah! Irene, she has more lump in that far tuff of hers, she calls a bottom, than her brain; what idiotically rumors is she telling you now?" Krystina leaned forward in from her position atop the stable gate of Ricochets._

_Regina giggled, "she's not bad."_

_The red head woman snorted, "sure. Now what did she say?"_

_"Well..." Regina dragged on her explanation, "she said you have a new gentleman to see in the village. I knew you didn't have family business to take care of!"_

_"See? Like I said, Irene is a complete disaster. Telling you lies and all."_

_Regina frowned, one long strand of hair curled over her face, "I was sure she was right this time."_

_"Ha-ha," Krystina moved the strand behind Regina's ear, "Irene thought I was a boy when we first met. The most she's good for is wrapping her legs around Herbert's fat waist at night."_

_Herbert was the gardener._

_Regina giggled some more, "Well you do have short hair like a boy!"_

_"My fair princess, what a mouth you have."_

_Regina smiled, "better to scold you with. Now out of my way you peasant, Ricochet needs to be groomed."_

_"Peasant?" Krystina held her chest, "you wound me so."_

_"Go ask Irene to __**wrap**__ a bandage on you. If she can keep her legs around Herbert then surely the bandage will hold."_

_"Your mother would scold you for that mouth."_

_"My mother would scold me just for talking to you."_

_Krystina threw a hay straw at Regina._

_"Oh hey, I have some news" Regina began running a brush down Ricochets back._

_"Yes?" Krystina heaped herself up on the walls of the horses stall._

_"I met a boy when you were gone," Krystinas head snapped up, she was met with a blushing Regina whom probably didn't even realize the presence of scarlet masking her young visage._

_"A boy? For heavens sake was he awful like all the others in this land?"_

_Regina shook her head, "no, he's the new stable boy."_

_"New? What happened to the old?"_

_"Exactly that. He was too old."_

_"So someone new replaced him?"_

_"Just as you replaced Tina's position as one of the kitchen maids." Regina brushed feeling the mellow-tonic beauty of a sleek horses hide_

_"Tina died. That was different."_

_"Well the old stable boy is close to death. Does that count?"_

_"No!"_

_Regina shrugged, "well anyway, he's nice."_

_"Is he? I thought you didn't like nice boys. You said they were either too nice to be fun, or too pompous to be nice, there was no in-between."_

_"He's...nice in a fun way."_

_Krystinas eyes narrowed, "__**nice in a fun way?**__"_

_"Yes."_

_"What kind of boy who's ,'__**nice in a fun way,**__' ever hold a wild princess's attention, like yours?"_

_"Well, for one, he caught me."_

_"What? How?"_

_Regina's smile widen, possibly unconsciously, as her reverie gaze focused on Ricochets brush moving back and forth, "I thought it would be rather lovely to see the sunset from the roof of the stable."_

_Krystinas breath quicken, "you didn't..."_

_"My foot missed an extra inch and I fell, he caught me, I mean he's bruised and hurt because he __**unknowingly**__ caught me, but that doesn't matter, it's the way he handled it, he was nice about it and promised to keep, as he said it, 'my mischief curiosity,' a secret."_

_Krystinas hands balled into fists, "and?"_

_"He introduced himself."_

_"And what's this mysterious heros' name?"_

_"Haha he's not a hero."_

_"Well he saved you, fair princess, that's a hero in my books."_

_"Daniel. His name is Daniel."_

"Regina" her voice echoed far off barely even reaching her reception.

"Mmm..." Regina mumbled.

"Regina! Hey Regina, wake up!" She shook her body causing that memoir to fade with Daniels name.

"Regina!" Suddenly everything came quick, her body shot up in alarm as she jumped almost to a sitting position, "whoa, hey hey, don't do that."

Emma. It was her voice that pulled her out of a memory, it was a dream, a very vivid dream of a memory from so long ago.

"Ms. Swan?" Her hands supported her weight as she lifted Regina into a sitting position.

"What are you doing here? Where are-"

_You wouldn't mind waiting for me for awhile, would you?_

"Oh no. Oh _nonono_..." Regina attempted to get up, her legs felt like jelly, she buckled her knees and Emma was there to support.

"Hey Regina I think maybe you shouldn't do that."

"And who are you to tell what I should and should not do Ms. Swan?" Regina pushed her away backing into a wooden wall.

Then, as if touching burning coal, she sprung away with a sharp hiss.

"What? What is it?" Emma came far too quickly to her side, "are you okay?"

"The walls." Regina replied with her mouth slightly agape as she reached a finger and Emma watched as a light blue electric forum touch the brunettes finger ever so slightly.

"I don't understand," Emma reached but Regina slapped her hand, "ow! Hey!"

"Don't touch the walls," Regina gripped her hand.

"Why?"

"Because these walls are different. They hold ancient magic. Think of it like...a vacuum. A giant electric fence vacuum."

Emma took her hand back, "so...it sucks your magic?"

"It makes sure you don't escape. These were created to trap great wizards and witches." Regina frowned, "we have no way out."

**###**

"Okay, we need to start subtlety when we get in there okay?" Tink said each word clearly as if speaking to a crowd of children, "subtle to get a bridge and the bigger truths to get the door open. Got it? And remember, no matter what is said in there we _do not forget_ why we are here."

"Of course we won't," Mary Margaret said, "going into a cave where a goddess was sleeping and eventually died by an adolescents hand, subtle truths are a step down."

David grabbed his wife's hand, "common, we can start with why you find my snoring annoying."

"I don't find it annoying, I think it's cute, and-"

"Can we please get back to what we're here for?" Killian said, "your mushy hearts are far too much for even fake vomit noises."

"Hey!" David spoke.

"Common," Tink began, "_remember_."

"Right right," David looked to his wife, "ready?"

She nodded, "ready."

Together the four stepped into the light of the torches, feeling waves of old magic enter their systems. Tink saw the way their eyes glowed bright yellow for just a fraction of a second.

"I want another child," Snow spoke quickly.

And there half the bridge formed as David suddenly let go of her hand with a, "what?!"

Tink thought this was going to be harder than she thought to fight the magical properties of Sandea's charmed cave.

**###**

"How about-"

"We've been over this Ms. Swan, any other living being without magic would just die in here." Regina sat crossed legged with her cheek in her palm as she leaned towards her right.

"See I don't understand that! If it only sucks magic then why can't they-"

"Because non-magical beings have magic all their own ; life."

Emma frowned, "then how do we get out?"

"The question here is..._how_ did _you_ get in?"

"I had help," Emma nearly giggled at Regina's annoyed gaze in the torch light.

Their new space was a small wooden hut, consisting of no windows and lit by a few torches adorning the corners of each four walls. The air was hot and thin, not much different from the outside. It shouldn't be possible to survive in here. That is, for the non-magical. These walls not only take magic, it gave. It provided the air and the support they need. They could probably stay there for weeks without food or water and still be as agile and healthy as they are now.

"What, pray tell, helped you?" Regina said slightly exasperated.

"A mermaid."

Regina was tracing images in the dirt, she stopped, "what did you say?"

"She's not evil and hellbend on human consumption as the others I promise! She was just-"

"Human consumption!?" Regina's back went rigid straight as she watched Emma's face bloom into confusion.

"You didn't-?"

"No!" Regina shouted, "that's not- what? No!"

"We- I assumed."

"No! No Ms. Swan no more! Do _not_ talk to me unless I permit it. Do _not_ ask me more questions about our trap. And _do. not. speak_ to me about mermaids. **Ever**. Understood?"

Regina had suddenly found herself standing, unsure of how she even attempted that when her legs still felt ready to give way. Yet, there she stood. It would seem the Evil Queen side of her was not yet through. Be damned ever looking weak. Here she stood, high and mighty towering over the savior.

"Regina I didn't mean to-"

"Zip it."

With that Emma did not speak once more.

**###**

Charmings fist met Killians jaw once more.

The pirate fell slightly then sprung back with such velocity that was used in his punch to Davids cheek. The fake prince stumbled into his wife's opening arms.

"How dare-" Snow started but Tink punched him loudly enough to stop her and Killian fell onto the rock floor.

"I said we have to tell subtle truths! Not, 'What I'd like to do with Emma,' _in front_ of her parents!" Tink shouted.

Hook laughed and sat up rubbing his jaw, "that's quite a punch you have there for a fairy. What's your secret?"

"Punching pirates in my spare time."

"I'm guessing I'm that pirate," he held his hand out.

The Charmings gave him a pungent look. Tink sighed heavily as she helped him up.

"When I said you have to tell subtle truths before opening bigger ones to get the door to open I meant it."

"But it worked didn't it?" Killian said, "the doors open, the Charmings here want another child _bam! _We have half a bridge, you wish to meet Rufio one last time to say sorry, _voilà! _Another half to the bridge and I-"

"Want to do unspeakable things to my daughter that'll _never_ happen." Snow said.

"Are you guys going to continue arguing or are you rescuing Emma and the Queen back there?" A voice no one recognized spoke vibrantly through the echoes of the cave.

"Excuse me?" Snow spoke offended, "we just learned a goddess slept here and came to revelations and you're-"

Charming put his hand over his wife's mouth whom growled as soon as he did, "I'm sorry, my wife is just a tad incontrovertible at the moment."

Snow tried wiggling herself out of his hold.

"And violent." David finished, then, "OUCH!"

He pulled his hand fast to his side, "you bit me!"

"What else am I suppose-"

Killian and Tink took one look at one other before they came to a one word agreement, "push."

Killians hands went to Davids back as did Tinks to Snow, with one hefty push the couple went tumbling over the threshold of the doorway to the other side where a young girl with bright meadow green eyes stood. She wore a loose white shirt with tight black pants with bare feet.

"Good you guys made it through!"

"Excuse me?" Mary Margaret looked up at her.

"Hello, my name's Peaches and your daughter Emma sent me."

The four looked at one another in confusion, seeing a flash of yellow in one another's eyes, the curse of the cave was lifted.

"We don't have time to waste, I saw you guys coming to the caves entrance, Emma went after Regina, they're in the hut."

"So they haven't been-?" Tink started.

"They're both okay, but not for long. Attina's almost done with preparations for Regina. Common!"

It all happened so fast that Mary Margaret didn't even think to ask if she could trust her.

So as they were running she ran along side this new person, "how do we know to trust you?"

"Because Emma promised me freedom, and for that, I'll do anything."

**###**

They must have been here for hours. Emma did not bother the brunette she gallantly dived after once Regina was pushed in. Peaches lead her. They arrived as soon as Regina was pushed. Peaches said she'll stay out as back-up. Which was good. Emma wanted to tell the other woman that.

If only she would listen.

"Regina?"

"Ms. Swan our son is out there with the most notorious kidnapper in existence and here you are trying to make...small talk." Regina did not even look at her nor open her eyes at all.

She lay, a small figure of ominous beauty in dirt not at all further than five feet from Emma.

"I know," perhaps it was the way Emma said it, so small and with a bit of a rasp, whatever it was Regina sat up and looked at her.

She was tired. Her eyes hung low, creating big brown orbs talking to her of sadness swirling in doubt.

"Emma?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you stay?" Regina shifted herself to face her.

"Because you were in trouble. I thought it wouldn't be any good to save Henry without you. You promised we'd do this together - remember?"

Regina licked her lips and a heave of air left her as she looked to the side, "I didn't mean that."

Emma's brow furrowed together, "what did you mean?"

The former queen clasped her hands together as she sighed heavily, "I don't know if it's...the nostalgia reaching me by missing Henry, or if it's this island and old memories occurring...but I have to know Emma."

She didn't answer, Emma Swans heart thumped louder and louder in her ears. Regina looked...sad?

No. Not exactly. She looked like a woman whom has had enough. Like she needed something to keep her going. Reassurance of some sorts.

So...being the savior, well...a semi-savior, Emma finally asked, "know what?"

"Why," her voice was so throaty and quiet, but then it turned louder, perhaps so Emma could hear, "why did you stay in Storybrooke?"

"Oh," Emma looked down.

If this-

"I just- I know it was for Henry but," Regina laughed in fragmented pieces, like jagged wire wrapped around her throat and she laughed at the sheer velocity that tried to break her, it'll never work, Regina Mills is unbreakable, just like all women.

Just like Emma, and Mary Margaret, and Ruby, and every other woman in her life.

"But I always thought maybe you stayed for more. Like maybe you felt something special with Mary Margaret and...I don't know. No matter what I did you **stayed**. And it couldn't have been just because of our son. I think...well, I'd like to think I know you better than anyone."

Emma smiled at the ground, "well you did stalk me."

Regina laughed that same broken laugh and wiped her cheeks.

Emma pretended she didn't see those loose tears.

"But...you do, you know," Emma finally looked into Regina's brown eyes, "you know me better than anyone in my entire life now, and..."

Emma bit her lip, "and you're right. I didn't just stay for Henry."

Regina pursed her lips together, "I was hoping you wouldn't say that."

"Why? Isn't that what you wanted?"

"No, I like to think my son would be someone's entire world, even when he's not mine and I'm delved deep into revenge and chaos. I like to think Henry is someone's anchor, you know? He's so special. He deserves more than an evil queen as his mother. He-"

"Hey don't speak like-"

"He deserves a savior."

And there it was.

The undeniable truth. Simplistically woven in a few sentences.

Emma did not know what to say. Who ever would? Especially to an actual Evil Queen. So, in lieu of words, Emma scooted herself nearer to her and grabbed both her hands. Regina protested for a split second, until she looked into Emma's green eyes.

Together they sat like that, breathing in the dirt smell of a fusty hut and each other's sweat mixed with something sweet like magic.

"You'd travel through realms for Henry, create whole new civilizations, and you'd face your greatest nightmares for him. What mother could say they've honestly went through hell and back for their son? You've been tortured...and lonely...and...and I'm so sorry."

Regina's hand tighten around Emma's, "sorry for what?"

"Sorry I stayed."

Silence... Then Regina did something Emma did not expect. She kissed Emma's forehead.

"Never be sorry for staying."

"Really?" Emma didn't say that as soon as she wanted, she said it slowly, with a mixture of doubt and wonder.

"Of course." Regina patted Emma's hands then let her go.

The blonde felt that severed connection, the moment was meant to be over now. But she couldn't let it. Not now.

"I stayed for you."

"What?" They were so close, knee to knee, Emma noticed the changes in her visage.

The widening of her eyes that showed something of panic and her hands grabbing the edge of her shirt.

"_Me_?"

"Yes. Remember when I asked you if you loved Henry?"

"Of course."

"And you know about my superpower?"

"Henry may have mentioned it once or twice in one of our arguments..." She looked away but Emma couldn't have that, she needed to look into her eyes to say this next thing.

Gently, she touched the side of Regina's face with the tips of three fingers guiding her back into the depths of truth she will speak.

"You said of course you love Henry."

"And I always will."

"And I needed him to know that you loved him because he didn't believe it. I always know when someone's lying and you spoke that with such reassurance with no hesitation, and with such..." She chuckled slightly, "such unspoken violence in your eyes for ever doubting you in your love for our son...you love him. And I needed him to know. I needed to help you _and_ him. I didn't stay for just Henry and I didn't stay for just you. I stayed for _both_ of you."

And just like a kiss to the forehead escalated to a kiss to Emma's lips. Regina cupped Emma's cheeks and pulled her into a deep kiss, it was so sudden that Emma made a slight squeal in the bottom of her throat.

Her mind went blank as the truth was sealed with kisses and small touches to one another's cheeks. Emma thought no matter what, they were going to finish this together. Just like they promised.

* * *

**Present**

Emma ignored his look of accusations.

"Emma," David was up now, she plowed past him.

"No."

"Emma your moms-"

"Stop! Okay? Just stop! I need you all to just.._stop_."

David gave her that look. He's given it to her a few times before. The one where his eyes hang low so his eyes practically pop out with sorrow and a desire to be heard or understood. It didn't matter. Emma didn't care at the moment. She knew, she knew something was going to happen, something extreme very soon. It's not that she can't describe because she can.

It's like a drowning feeling, like being pulled by those energy sucking seaweed in Neverland. She couldn't breath anymore.

"Emma we can all go with you..." David grabbed her by the edge of her elbow.

That was it.

Emma pulled away quickly and spun around on him, "_**don't**__ touch me."_

David held his hands up, "I'm sorry I didn't."

"No. Just-"

"Hear me out? I know you're tired of hearing everyone," he looked to the closed bathroom door that held Henry and Mary Margaret on the other side.

"Sorry we woke you up," Emma said and grabbed her keys, still attempting to walk out the door.

"Please." He wore a red simple shirt and long loose stripped pajama pants.

He looked like the homely new father of a small child. But he wasn't, was he? Not exactly. Not to her.

"Quick." She spoke quicker than her immediate regret.

She hated the way his homely face light up even more as he gave a slight side grin with a heavy relieved sigh, "we can help."

"No one can help. I've already explained this to Mary Margaret, you would all just slow me down."

"Well who do you think you inherited your tracking ability from? And Henry found you. If he found one mother he can probably find another."

Emma leaned against the counter sighing, "I don't have time for this...she's in Washington and she can leave any moment. I have to go _now_. I can't wait or I'll miss her by mere inches again."

"So is that what this is about? Missing her again?"

Emma bit her lip and stared at anything but his homely visage.

"I see the way you look at her Emma."

She looked up seeing her eyes reflected back at her. Emma may have inherited her mothers eyes but it was the emotions displayed in them she sees in this man right here, that she has

"What do you mean?"

"I may not have raised you Emma Swan, but I-" he stepped closer and Emma fought the urge to back up, "I didn't need to, to know that look. I use to give it to your mom."

"What look?"

"That look that says unspeakable wonders with undeniable horror."

Emma huffed, "I didn't know you..."

"Were so profound?"

"Knew those words. Or even use them like that." Emma looked down until she felt her fathers rough hands bring her view back up.

"I don't care whether its her or not. If you look at someone like that...well you should do anything to get back to them. And maybe-"

Emma's chest started to heave as her tears fell past her eye lids. When she was small she saw fathers, in movies, whip their daughters tears away. She always thought that must be wonderful to have someone to catch your tears, to catch your sorrows and help burden them with you. Davids thumbs moved across her cheeks brushing them before they made it further down her cheeks.

"Maybe you don't have to do this alone anymore. Regina hasn't gotten as far as we thought. _We_ can still catch up with her. Don't let that look always be a just look."

Emma's bag dropped to the floor with a hard thud as she wrapped her arms around her fathers torso. She smelled his musty scent and a hint of her mother lingering on his shoulder. It is nice to share some burdens.

**###**

Mary Margaret found a silent sniffling Henry on the floor of the bathroom.

"Snow?"

She looked back to see her husband standing there rubbing his eyes, "what's going on?"

They heard a loud shut of the door to Emma's room, "maybe you should wait for Emma to come down."

"Why?"

"Because she just told me something about her and...and Regina I didn't want to know."

David frowned slightly but not surprisingly, she figured she could speak with him about that later.

"I'm going to check on Henry."

He nodded.

She tried the handle, it opened with that familiar creak. It was dark.

"Henry?"

A sniff, "go away."

"Do you want me to turn on the lights?"

"No."

"Okay." She closed the door and sat with her back against the wooden creaky door.

"I said go away. Can't you comprehend the simplest of phrases?"

Snow almost snorted feeling that nostalgic insult, "you sounded like her for a moment,"

"Who?"

"The woman who raised you."

It was so dark she didn't know where Henry sat, she figured maybe he said near the tub. She wished she could see his facial expressions. How do you have a conversation with just a voice? How does she know if she's crossed the line? Normally on the phone she could just _tell_ by the way they speak. But her grandson was different, not like Emma, nor Regina exactly, but a mixture of both.

And one thing was clear he's inherited from both,

He can hide those emotions in his voice.

And that was the scariest thing ever.

"Do you think she just left without a second thought? Or do you think she thought about it for a long time?"

Mary Margaret didn't need to see to know how broken he was, despite that calm demeanor.

"Does it matter to you?"

"Of course it does. I want to know if she knew she was going to leave when I last saw her. If maybe she knew and that's why she was so... Clingy. And I didn't realize it."

"No one did Henry."

"I could've known. I know my mom."

"No one knows their parents as well as they think."

"Like your parents?"

That hurt... "Henry that's..."

"Rude; I know. But...it's weird to find out your parents aren't as good as you thought, right?"

"My father made sure his kingdom was prospering well."

"And yet he married my mom and that one event set to course many more and my mom..."

"Wouldn't have you if that didn't happen," Mary Margaret spoke.

She wondered if whether it was healthy for an eleven year old to think like this. Certainly not.

"Henry?"

"Yeah?"

"I think...I think Regina didn't just leave. I think...she thought about it but had doubts over and over...and then...one day she left. This town...it isn't ideal for her to live in."

"I know. But she could have taken me."

"Would you have gone?"

"I guess not," Henry spoke quietly.

"Would you now?"

"I don't know. All I know is that...right now, I miss my mom. I miss her food, her hugs, and her smell. That sounds weird, I know, but all my life I always thought that was a wonderful smell. Lavender mixed with...with some sort of book vanilla scent that's entirely her own and a hint of apple. Even when she wasn't made up in make up and business suits, she always had that scent."

Mary Margaret thought about it, "I always thought she only smelled like apples."

Henry chuckled, "you'd have to be next to her for hours to know the other scents. Like fine print."

"Oh. Well...you know in the Enchanted Forest she had many smells?"

"Like what?"

"Like...when she went off into the forest in the middle of the day, I never told her I knew, but she'd leave and I never asked her why. She came back smelling like old books and pinewood. I think it was when she was training with magic."

"Magic smells like old books and pinewood?"

MaryMargaret chuckled, "no, probably not. Or maybe. Sometimes she'd smell like firewood and rain. Which I always thought was weird because it hadn't rained, and yet...she passed me on the pretense of coming back from the stables, smelling of deep, deep rain from the forest."

"Mmm..." Henry said soothingly, "and?"

She smiled, "I remembered this one time she came back smelling like burnt leather and something so pungent and spoiled I nearly gagged."

Henry laughed, "I wonder what she was doing."

"Well, I asked what happened. She replied she was thrown into a swamp by Ricochet. Which I doubted because she was an excellent horseback rider."

"Was she?"

"Yes."

"How um...how so?"

Mary Margaret knew what he was doing now. But if this calmed him down, then this is what she'll do.

"She could ride faster than anyone I knew. Even the stable people and Knights!"

"No way! Really? My _mom_, the _mayor_ who _never_ let me eat with forks until I was seven?"

That one she laughed at, "did she do that do you!?"

"Yes! She never let me eat with forks! _Oh! _I remember this one time I tried getting a fork and threw a tantrum so she grabbed the fork and threw it! She threw it so hard I remember it clattering on the wall then she sat down and said, 'dear, the forks have been used by ogres and are not usable until decontaminated completely.' I was so stunned I didn't even notice the reference she made to the book we were reading at the time."

"That...sounds kind of scary Henry," she laughed, "what mother throws forks and blames her reasons on ogres?"

Henry laughed, "yeah, but its one of my favorite memories because after she gave me ice cream. But with a fork. She said if I'm so desperate to use it then use it on that."

"And did you?"

"I did my best. After I remember her laughing. And then I always used forks. Then I started to miss spoons, because she made an extensive amount of soup during that time."

Mary Margaret laughed at that. Henry did too. Perhaps with more of a smile than his grandmother because it was his memory.

Their laughter died down.

Soon it was just them hidden in darkness, with quiet breathing.

"I miss her."

"I know. I know."

"No, you don't. Don't sympathize with me because you feel the need to grandma."

"Henry, I just want to understand."

"Thank you though."

"For what?"

"For telling me a little about her life before me."

She heard him moving. And soon she felt his toes reach hers.

"I need to get out now."

"But-"

"Please."

She moved but before he could open the door she grabbed his hand holding the doorknob, "why were you sitting in the dark?"

There was an uncomfortable silence followed by Henry moving his hand away from hers, "because my mom once told me the dark isn't such a bad place to think. That sometimes it soothes you."

"Was she right?"

"...yeah. Yeah she is. I don't get to see my insecurities, or my mistakes, I can...I can think about new things to fill in the darkness. She said it to me because I was afraid of it. But now...now I think it's the best place to think."

Then he opened the door blinding her for a moment. But when her vision returned Emma was holding David. The smile that formed on Snow was slow and the most beautiful thing she's ever done right besides talking to Henry.

Then Emma noticed them and let go of her father.

She looked unsure now, "we...you better get ready if we want to make it to Washington to look for Regina."

Henry was the first to run to the room upstairs to pack his clothes.

**###**

"Uggghhh!" Emma sighed dropping her head onto the desk with a loud thud, "owww..."

"No progress?" Her mother asked from atop the bed in the hotel, coffee in hand, laptop open.

"Hours and hours of surveillance footage and all we've seen is her leaving at eight a.m. every morning and arriving back at various times." Emma groaned.

"Have to hand it to my mom, at least she kept her mornings on track." Henry said with another laptop open in his lap on the other bed.

"I still can't believe they let you have this footage." David spoke sitting in the puffy chair in the corner of the room, in front of the TV playing footage of Regina walking out of the hotel.

"It's amazing she managed to get everything associated with Storybrooke into the world. All I had to say was I'm looking for a missing person, show my badge, pretend its for some top security of the national system and _bam!_" Emma said raising a thumb with her head still laid down atop the wooden, polished desk.

"I still think that was illegal Emma," Mary Margaret spoke, "and why do you have all these laptops...you weren't exactly rich when you moved in."

"it's from my days before Storybrooke."

They arrived the late hours of the evening in Washington that night Emma agreed they all go. The town would have been against it all. So they left in the middle of the night in Emma's bug. So far they've marched straight to the hotel Regina stayed in. With some...persuasive maneuvers by Emma they've managed to procure recordings. Some of Regina just walking around, sitting and eating in the dinning hall.

There was a visceral thrill that filled Emma once she saw Regina. She looked...different. Not a bad different just...odd. She didn't wear business suits, just nicer clothes to strut around in. Sometimes a dress. She'd always have a small bag on her person, and sometimes she had a dark colored journal in her arms. For a moment Emma thought this could work.

Until they found out that's all she does. Leaves and comes back. Emma always has this manic concern of seeing another person come back with her. But so far...none.

Then-

"Hey I have something." David said.

All at once everyone jumped to his side, "what?"

"Yeah take a took."

The image rewound, turning time backwards in the present, and there... Regina walked out and a small person ran into her.

"It's a kid," Emma said.

"No, really?" Henry spoke sarcastically and Emma playfully bumped him.

She hasn't apologized, when she tried, Henry just said it was okay.

Although the air between them felt tight and awkward. They weren't even alone, not much. It seemed they avoided that now

"Oh Regina's comforting him," Mary Margaret said, "that's good."

The image showed Regina bending down talking to a boy with light hair. The video wasn't clear, in fact it was a bit fuzzy, so Regina's words were entirely lost within that low quality.

They went inside.

"Find the tape of the lobby! Quick! David write down the time and date for that."

They jumped once more in ambitious unison searching their portions of the disks.

It didn't take long with renewed hope when Henry shouted, "I FOUND IT."

Jumping once more to where he sat, there she was. It wasn't long. Regina was patching him up. They watched. Henry had an unknown look splashed across his visage. Mary Margaret looked...sad. David was just happy to have footage that isn't useless. But Emma...Emma felt that familiar swirl of unriddled emotions fill her chest again, she looked content.

Then another person showed.

Regina's face turned gray and Emma almost laughed out of pure joy, she looked like she was looking her. That same blank stare with a baleful stance. Then after a few moments Regina picked up the small child and the three walked out together.

"Wait...is that all?" Emma said.

Henry fast forward through the day, "it seems like it."

"But...but that can't be it. She just met that person! And she left with them and-"

"Well we don't know what she does when she leaves the hotel. All we know is what happens as she leaves and when she comes back." Made Margaret responded.

Emma frowned, "then..." She sighed loudly again and flopped on the other bed rubbing her temples, "then we have to find out where she goes."

"There's a lot to do in Washington," Henry shrugged.

There was silence as everyone thought.

Then suddenly David yelled,"aha!"

Mary Margaret jumped, "David there's better ways to say you have an idea without doing the movie thing."

"Sorry hun," he leaned over to kiss her.

"Ew," Henry said.

"Ew is right," Emma agreed.

"Ha-ha," David mocked, "but I have an idea, why don't we find that guy."

"What?" Emma said.

"You're good at finding people. And he isn't trying to hide, find him. He's male, brown hair, and...looks to be in his twenties. Or that small child."

"That's-that's brilliant," Emma jumped up wondering why she ignored the obvious, "I'll get right on that."

She grabbed Davids notebook of the time and date.

Then she walked back with a slight spring in each step to her desk ready to find this mystery man.

**###**

Back in Storybrooke Kathryn sat in the mayors chair then her phone buzzed somewhere in the depths of paperwork. She jumped slightly, then pushed her blonde hair behind her ears.

She found it, and adorning the screen was the name **Henry**.

She opened the text message.

_Dear Kathryn,_

_You may have realized that by now, we are gone. Not for long. We're going to bring my mom back. They didn't want to tell anyone but I felt the need to tell you._

_-Henry_

Kathryn sighed and closed the message laying her phone on the desk.

Picking back up her phone she typed.

_Okay Henry. Thank you. Be safe._

She looked back through the paperwork wondering exactly how Regina kept everything organized.

**###**

"I found him!" Emma held her hands up in glory, "his name is John Lardling. What kind of name is _Lardling_?"

"You found him!?" Henry shouted.

"Yes," Emma replied, "he's a Metro ride away!"

And so with that, everyone donned on their coats running out the door.

Except Charming.

He is to...man the surveillance and watch for more people.

He mopped as he popped in another flash drive, "sure everyone gets to go except me. Because I'm not 'good with people,' it's not like I was a great fraud prince once without anyone knowing."

**###**

Regina leaned against the wall surveying the odd bus crowds. One guy wore a suit fidgeting with his tie. Another had bright red hair that shown like rubies in the sunlight.

"Ice cream madam!" Regina looked to her companion.

Lily stood in a loose white shirt holding a cone of vanilla ice cream, "I realized I didn't know what you liked... So I got you this. Because who doesn't like vanilla."

"I don't like vanilla."

"...well then."

Regina smiled.

"Oh that's not funny. I was sure you'd be mad." Lily frowned as Regina took her ice-cream and licked it making a satisfy sound causing Lily to giggle.

"You're gross Regina."

"I'm appalled you said that."

**###**

It would be quite a handful of days before Emma and the Charmings arrived to the bus station.

But first...

"Hello?" He answered the door in just simple blue jeans and a long dark blue shirt.

His brown hair ruffled past his eyebrows slightly, and a small boy with light blonde hair peaked out from behind his leg.

Emma had knocked, "hi, my name's Emma. And this is...Mary...mar...son. Mary Marson..."

Mary Margaret gave her a look that spoke of one singular word, what?

"Yeah um, we-we're apart of Storybrookes police force and we're looking for a woman."

John raised his brow, "um... Storybrooke? Where's that?"

He ruffled his younger brothers hair.

"Maine."

"Oh, you've traveled a bit to get here. Must be a great person you're looking for," he picked up his brother whom was starting to whine, "so who are you looking for?"

"Um...Regina Mills."

John was patting his brother back when he stopped, his little brother on the other hand lightened up, "Regina!? You know the nice lady!?"

"_Nice_ lady?" Mary Margaret almost choked and looked at Emma whispering,"_nice_?"

"Uh," they looked to John, "yeah, she um...patched up my little brother here. So...you know Regina? We've been wanting to thank her for everything she's done."

"Oh...what has she done?" Emma said.

And so, John told them about Regina and what she did for them. Emma recognized that look John had. So serene and loving.

"So you just met her that day? And that's the only time you've seen her?"

John nodded.

**-one week later-**

"Well what's her name?" Henry asked.

They found a woman walk in to the hotel with Regina once, then out the next morning. Emma was worried about this one. She was pretty, with hair the color of caramel and a spring to her step she's never seen before. And Regina actually looks...content. Then she's seen again a day later as she helps Regina with her bags.

"Lily Ritger," Emma said with slight venom.

"What does she do?" Henry asked.

"She quit her job at kramerbooks &amp; afterwords cafe." Emma says.

"That sounds like a coffee shop. Which would be good about now," Henry yawns, "when's grandma and grandpa going to be back with breakfast?"

**###**

It took another day of convincing the cafe shop to tell them about Regina. A waitress with long black hair tided into a bun finally talked.

"Yeah I know her. Pretty girl who never ate a thing. Really, all she did was order coffee and tea. She had a bunch of maps and books with her everyday." She sat across them in her work attire looking entirely too bored.

"And...what else?" Emma asked, Mary Margaret had a notepad open taking notes.

Charming and Henry sat in the bug not too far away, they were the, "just in case," crew.

"She came everyday." The woman replied in a bored tone.

"..._and_?" Emma said exasperated already.

The woman picked at her nails, "well she didn't say much to me. She tipped well though, I'll give you that. It's why I never tried to get on her nerves. I remembered her coffee exactly the way she liked it and her tea."

"Oh." Emma realized she doesn't even know Regina's favorite color let alone her favorite coffee, "anything else?"

"Well...I think you should ask this girl who used to work here," she yawned.

"And?" Emma said.

"Yeah she used to work here."

They were getting no where.

"She used to talk to...Rigna."

"Regina," Mary Margaret corrected.

"Yeah, whatever, anyway, Lily talked to her almost everyday she came by. Never missed a day unless she was off."

"Oh," Emma didn't feel like talking anymore.

"Anything else you can tell us?" May Margaret grabbed Emma's arm under the table for a second to display her support.

"Hmm...she quit to go be with her. She couldn't stop saying that. Put in her two weeks worked as many hours as she could, then left with that woman."

Emma dropped her pen, "oh, sorry, excuse me."

"No prob," the waitress said and stretched, "are we almost done? I need to go home."

"Well we just need to ask you a few more questions on Lily then you can go, is that okay?" Mary Margaret said.

The waitress crinkled her nose, "Hmm...sorry doll, no. I don't give that personal stuff. All I can tell you is that she became very attached to your person, Rita-"

"Regina," Emma said through gritted teeth.

"Right her. And that she agreed to go with her to some exotic place. Which is good for her. Lily always wanted to travel."

Mary Margaret nodded and held out her hand, "right well, thank you for this, it helped so much."

They shook hands and she left. Emma sat there brooding.

**###**

"Go go go!" Henry shouted running up the stairs after Emma.

"Wait up!" David said huffing slightly.

"I can't believe you found where she lives!" Mary Margaret shouted!

"I know!" Emma shouted.

If she was correct Regina existed just beyond that door on the fifth floor of this shabby apartment building. She wasn't all thrilled about the concept of Regina Mills moving into...Lily Ritger's place. Although they didn't know which room

The landlord lived close to the sixth floor, so Emma arrived at his door and pounded.

"What! What?!" A guy in a stained business suit with a receding hair line and a greasy face answered the door, "what do you want now you stupid goddam-"

He stopped as soon as he saw Emma, "well hello there blonde, what is it? What do you want?"

Emma huffed, "private investor Emma... Swington of Storybrooke, Maine, may I ask you a few questions about a resident here by the name of Lily Ritger?"

She's learned to never use real names.

**###**

They missed her.

Lily Ritger and Regina Mills left that very morning according to the landlord. Where they were going? No one knows.

"But I think they mentioned taking the greyhound bus." He said scratching his head, "I don't know. Those crazy girls. At least they left us-"

"Thank you," Emma said and together all four began running down the stairs.

"Hey!"

Emma stopped and looked up at the dirty landlord, "you didn't hear anything from me eh?!"

"Got it!" Emma shouted.

**###**

And now here we are. Life, as it seems now, happens fast. Our thoughts aren't always coherent. It's fragments, and sometimes its fragments of fragments. So when Mary Margaret heard everything from Johns story to the waitress at kramerbooks &amp; afterwords cafe, then the landlords animated talk of the dark haired woman whom convinced his shy tenant Lily to leave...well...she knew Regina was happy.

But she didn't let herself believe it until now.

**###**

Regina was laughing at Lilys face about ice cream and new roads ahead.

The four people closest to the former queen split up into two groups to search the nearest greyhound station.

All were in the same place.

All were panicking for completely different reasons.

Regina was panicking at how lenient Lily was. But then...

"Regina?"

"Hmm?" Regina looked at Lily.

"I'm glad you asked me to come with you."

As panic ebbed away a smile gave, "I'm glad too."

**###**

Mary Margaret spotted her. She spotted that Regina in that very moment.

"Do you see her?" David asked.

He sounded so far off.

Regina stood not more than twenty feet away. She was _laughing_. And grinning. Snow White has spent a majority of her life accidentally ruining this very woman's life. And now?

Well she looks...happy.

"No. No, I don't...actually." She turned towards her husband.

His face covered in a thin layer of sweat from running. Then Emma came bouncing towards them.

"Did you find her?"

Henry was breathing hard next to her, "did you see my mom?"

She fought the urge to look behind her. What was it about her? Why can't she tell them?

She thought of her former enemies bright smile towards the sandy haired woman. All her life...she's only ever seen that smile when she looked at Daniel. If anything...she could give this one thing. This one small thing for Regina.

Fragmented thoughts; it's always those that piece the bigger picture turning a simplistic lines of brushes into bigger paintings.

It wasn't that Mary Margaret didn't want Regina back. She did. Oh god, did she ever want her back, if only for Emma and Henry. But what happens when your enemy is also your somewhat best friend? The one you've known the longest and understood the best. What happens when you understand them so much you love them?

"I think I saw her over there," she pointed in the opposite direction.

The three ran past people ignoring their annoyed looks and shouts.

_Was it selfish?_ She thought.

_I hope not._

Then Mary Margaret turned around. She refused to look at the destination of the bus. Regina walked out the door with Lily. Together they smiled. No, it wasn't selfish. It was the first gallant move she's ever given Regina. Something only Snow will ever know.

And that's okay.

Snow let one thought linger through her mind.

_Goodbye Regina._


	15. Chapter 15

**AN : ****Hello again my lovelies :)**

**Your reviews make me all giddy inside and I'm so happy you're alive. Anyway, I'm sorry it took so long. Petulant Queens and Coffee just took a hold of me for awhile. And I've suddenly spiraled into the Dragon Queen world. Also...there's going to be a lot of...mistakes in this chapter, I just know it. It's a long chapter and I just feel like I missed something AND IT'S FIVE FUCKING A.M. I HAVEN'T SLEPT YET. So if you have any questions, feel free to message me, I'll answer.**

**Also...I may be heading on an adventure of my own soon. SO I'll try to update it one more time before I go. But if I don't...I promise I'll always come to it, I have huge ideas for this that just NEED to be shared. This fic and Petulant Queens and Coffee have helped through a few issues in life, thank you for each comment (it always made my day I would reread some just to smile and be all giddy and shit.) YOU'RE ALL WONDERFUL. I LOVE YOU.**

**DISCLAIMER : see chapter one**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_My history with my red headed friend is short and full of wonders ending on tragic. Did you know she's everywhere? She's the apples that grow outside on my apple tree. She's the constellations in the stars. She's the vast expanse of sea on the docks of Storybrooke. It's dangerous when you find someone like that. She traveled a lot for my mother which was my fault entirely. Sometimes I think if I were smarter during those times I wouldn't have this scar above my lip (another reminder) and everything would be different. Maybe I wouldn't have fallen in love with Daniel and maybe I would've been mermaid food. Either way…sometimes I still feel like I'm waiting for her. That I'll be standing somewhere and then that familiar hum of hers claiming me as her sunshine would drift through my thoughts and there she'll be. Short red hair and a toothy grin with eyes as piercing as the relentless waves of the sea._

_-love mom_

Life is full of holes, its sentences that end just before the next word only to start a whole new paragraph, its idiotic decisions, and sometimes...it's your friend's idiotic decisions.

So...when Regina Mills and Lily Ritger arrived at Richmond, Virginia for a short stop on the pretense of mechanical problems with the bus. Well...Lily really wanted to see what some of Richmond entailed.

It was like every other city, Regina thought. Full of lights and trees and people.

But Lily was enthralled.

She grabbed her friends arm and pointed to statues of men long past dead. She giggled at the street performers. She was like a child. And Regina sighed and groaned as Lily begged her to take more pictures. Regina found there was no arguing. At least some of it could be added to the journal. Then they went into a building smelling of coffee and strong sweets.

One coffee for now. Another for the bus ride.

Or so she thought.

The cause of their unplanned adventure was due to the announcement of their bus being out of order until the evening. They went exploring, _however_ they missed the next announcement that a replacement bus was leaving in five minutes. So…when they came back five hours after the second announcement the information lady at the desk merely raised a brow, lifted her manicured pink nails and _tut tutted_ them.

Regina knew then they had missed something important.

They sat in a hotel with Lily saying over and over how sorry she is, and Regina pouted on the opposite side of the bed.

Did I mention the only room near the bus station was grimly and the only room available was a _one_ bed room?

Or that their next bus to Savannah was early in the morning?

"Just go to bed Lily." Regina pulled the covers around her and fumed, "and I'm taking all the blankets tonight."

She didn't see Lily's head snap up, "I get to sleep on the bed?"

Regina groaned, "Yes. Of course."

She didn't see Lily smile, "I was sure you'd have me sleep on the floor after that."

"Don't tempt me."

They drifted off to sleep and unfortunately for Regina, sometimes memories follow.

_It's a dream. It certainly felt like it. At least...she thinks._

Regina kicked her blankets off, groaning in her sleep.

_"Mother no!"_

_Her mother hand came down vengefully and a sharp SLAM resonated down the hall, echoing the shame of Regina's idiocy. She had slapped her friend._

_Krystina did not hold her cheek, she spat at Cora and shoved the woman's hands off of her arms._

_"Don't you worry sunshine, this vile woman will never break me," Krystina stepped closer to Cora._

_Regina whimpered slightly and Cora raised a brow._

_"__**Sunshine**__? Oh that's darling," her mother voice was like a saw, cutting through her very being._

_"Mother please," Regina asked._

_"Regina, we do not make friends with servants."_

_"I'm sorry," Regina whimpered, "just don't hurt her anymore. It was my idea, I'm so sorry. It was my idea for her to eat dinner with me here. Please don't hurt her. Plea-please don't-"_

_Cora's hand suddenly evolved purple smoke and before Krystina could even move a long whip emerged and a loud WHACK shocked and struck Regina Mills sending her falling to the floor._

_Krystina stood there, stunned and frozen._

_Cora walked to her daughter and grabbed her by the hair, "repeat with me darling."_

_Regina whimpered holding her upper lip as red seeped past the space between her fingers._

_"Repeat," Cora's voice became soft like a gentle wind before the tornado, "I will be a good girl."_

_Regina sobbed, sucking in air tasting her own blood, "I...I-I"_

_Cora pulled her hair harder and Krystina stepped forward._

_"Stop!" the red head shouted._

_Cora's hand went out and Krystina's arms and legs became bound in tight rope._

_She turned back to her daughter, "one more time...without the stuttering."_

_Regina nodded and looked to her friend who closed her eyes._

"Regina!"

Regina jumped up and felt a sharp _thud_ on her foot as she got up and a loud, "ouch!"

The brunette was breathing deeply but she looked to Lily and her bleeding lip.

"Lily, _oh my god_ Lily I'm so sorry," she jumped up and ran to restroom

"Regina-"

"Don't move," Regina shouted, then came back with a wet cloth.

"Here let me-"

"Regina-"

Regina removed her hand then quickly pressed and Lily hissed.

"Okay now-"

"Regina!" Lily pushed her hands away.

"What?"

"Are you okay?" Regina raised her eyebrows at her friend's question.

"Y-yes, of course I am. Did I hit you harder than I thought?"

Lily shook her head, "no, it's just-" she looked at her bloodied hand, "you were sort of shouting "_no, no, no" _in your dream and_ "don't hurt her_," it...was a bit concerning."

"Oh..." Regina looked down, "it...it was bad dream."

"Sounds like a nightmare to me."

Regina looked back up into Lily's slight smile. It looked painful.

"Here, let me-"

Lily nodded and ever so gently she placed the wet cloth on her friends lip.

"I'm sorry if I woke you." Regina whispered, "And kicked you…"

Lily grabbed her hands and gave it a squeeze in response, "its fine," she mumbled, "It happens."

Regina nodded, "you're the most accident prone person I've ever met."

"Only with you."

**###**

_Dear Henry, _

_We're in Savannah now._

_The trees open on the sidewalk and the light filters through the trees making her caramel hair glow almost godlike. Lily is running with a small child probably around the age of seven. Her mother is scornfully watching on a bench twisting and turning her gloves in her hands. _

_I figured this would be a great time to explain who Krystina was again._

_She used to dance sometimes and hum lullabies. She loved dancing to the moonlight, where her hair sung of rubies and her skin glowed like an ashen sun. I suppose in this world it would be considered ballet. But her, she was something else. Her legs twisted and twirled as she swung them and spun, her arms would follow an invisible path in the air like water._

_And sometimes she'd have me dance along, I wasn't good. But she'd sing that lovely tune I couldn't get enough of. It was like wine, so sweet yet bitter and I was drunk off it. That mellow tonic vibrant colorful voice causing me to dance ever so softly. It's such a simple lullaby but would if it's sung so slow with high notes?_

_**You are my sunshine**_

_**My darling sunshine.**_

_**You make me happy.**_

_It sounds stupid to be memorized by that, but I was. She was so different. So otherworldly and...odd, a specter of utter delight. She was a breath of fresh air. People...it doesn't matter if they're mermaid or not, are often _**never**_ as they seem as when you first meet them. _

_Never trust anyone with the power to win you over with just their voice. That's asking for trouble._

_-love mom_

"Regina dance with me?" Lily called from behind.

She had taken off her shoes to feel the grass. Regina grumbled.

"You're still not mad are you? Common, these short stops before our destination are what life's all about," suddenly Regina peripheral vision was obscured by sand colored hair.

"Common Reeginnaa," she sang song, "you don't have to take off your shoes. Besides…you owe me for kicking me last night."

Regina closed her eyes, taking in the sounds of the park. The far off bark of an unnamed dog, the squeals of delight of a naive child new to this world, cars roving by with people probably late for some pointless event, and especially the girl next to her. Her slight breathless nature as she was running with smaller children earlier. She was so childish.

Regina opened her eyes and looked to Lily's caramel eyes brimming with unspoken delight, "ten minutes."

Lily's smile was once again the brightest thing in Regina's life. Lily held her hand out and Regina took it, feeling her calloused fingertips and soft creases between her fingers.

_Dear Henry, _

_Do you ever appreciate the small things in life? Like Mary Margaret's cookies? I've had one in my entire time with her. They weren't bad. Or even the way the sun lays kisses upon your skin? Or the way grass feels between your toes? Or how about holding someone's hand? _

_-love mom_

**###**

**One week later **

_This must be a dream again. She twirled her, the oneiric of her green dress flowed around those slender legs like leaves in autumn. The wind picked up slightly and her laughter filled the ears covered by dark hair, the humming caused her to close her eyes and smile._

_"My fair princess! How have you learned to dance like the leaves themselves!" Krystina pulled Regina closer and picked her up bridal style and spun._

_Regina's laughter reached an all-time high, "Krystina! Put me down!"_

_"As you wish," she let go and Regina screamed as she hit the floor bottom first._

_"Ow! That isn't what I meant!" She got up and glared, laughter gone._

_Krystina merely smiled, "and what are you going to do about it princess?"_

_Regina stood, "to have your head on a spike."_

_"So vengeful, like an ominous leitmotif." Krystina took a step back while her friend took a step forward._

_"What does it matter? I'll never be queen," Regina picked up a stick from the forest floor._

_"Perhaps," Krystina jumped behind a tree and Regina gave chase, "but!" She shouted, "if you were to be queen, what would you decree?!"_

_Regina saw her jump behind a bush and she ran as fast as she could only to find Krystina wasn't there._

_"Queen Regina!" She shouted and her voice echoed off the trees and carried with the wind._

_Regina smirked and tapped the stick against a branch while looking for her friend, "me? Well...I don't really want the throne, it seems too claustrophobic but if I were…I'd decree," she saw movement behind a tree._

_She ran towards there, "that-"_

_Red hair showed on the side of her vision, "there will be balls almost every weekend,"_

_"Really?" Her voice flowed around Regina's frame like smoke from a fire._

_"And we could dance all night, you and I." She saw her friend dash behind a nearby tree._

_"But I am to be beheaded right now, "she shouted as Regina missed her as she ducked behind a branch._

_Regina watched her friend go into the clearing. She watched as she turned around and crossed her arms, tilting her head. The moonlight shined past the tree branches highlighting her eyes. Tonight, they looked like a storm._

_"Then I'll just take Daniel to be my king," Krystina raised an eyebrow as she stepped closer and closer, her hips swaying slightly._

_"Daniel is a stable boy." She was getting closer._

_Regina held her head higher, "you're a kitchen maid."_

_"Maybe I'm a goddess looking for fresh meat," she was a few steps away and Regina began to step back only to be met with bark._

_"And maybe I'm a witch like my mom. Daniel will be king."_

_Krystina was now toe to toe with her, "as you wish my princess..."_

_Her fingers met Regina's chin and she leaned closer._

_"Besides," Krystina's voice always had that soft warning as she spoke into her ear, "I might do something to get beheaded anyway, such as...asking you, why would I ever dance with the queen?"_

_Regina lifted her stick and placed it on Krystina's neck, "off with thy head."_

_Krystina laughed was low, and Regina's body was set aflame, "happy birthday sixteenth birthday my princess."_

_"_Regina! Get up! We missed our bus!" Lily jumped on the bed and shouted.

Regina sat up, feeling suffocated by the white sheets, "what?!"

She tried jumping out but suddenly the sheets gripped her legs and she stumbled head first. But before her face met the dark green and blue carpet of the hotel something grabbed her night shirt.

"Whoa!" Lily pulled her up, "are you okay?"

Regina pushed her away, "we need to get ready," she tried getting away but Lily grabbed her hand.

"Wait! I was kidding!"

"_What_?!" Regina looked at the red lighted clock.

**Five a.m**.

She raised her brow and looked to Lily, "you woke me up three hours earlier than I wanted."

Lily bit her bottom lip, "sorry? But you should've seen your face. It was great." Her smile graced those slightly rosy cheeks as she smiled still biting her lower lip.

Regina threw a pillow at her.

_Dear Henry, _

_I was born in the middle of a long hot day. When the winds stopped for a fraction of a second to bathe humans in their own desire for a simple cooling breeze. I was born when there were sighs and pouts for more and more. I was born towards the middle of summer. Not exactly the middle, but close. _

_Now, it is sort of breezy with skies barely filled clouds and Lily is lightly snoring next to me. The other people are either asleep or listening to music or even talking to someone. The bus roars and each car that passes is but a blur with life._

_Happy birthday to me._

_-love mom_

Lily yawns while sporting an austere arch of her back and legs, stretching, "are we there yet?"

Regina scoffs, "nope."

Her companion groans.

_Dear Henry, _

_We made it to Atlanta. _

_Lily wanted to see the High Museum of Art. It looked like a big white odd shaped building with more odd statues with a...childlike house on one side. There's a part where you look up and see the sky. The windows are designed sort of like a fan, and in corners the sunlight creates lines adorning the walls in a clock like look._

_Lily couldn't stop smiling._

_I think you'd like it here. Emma would probably laugh and scold these artworks. Saying someone else could do better._

_I miss you both._

_-love mom_

"I thought it was rather profound. What did you like?" Lily asked as they sat on a bench with coffee in Styrofoam cups.

"Hmmm..." Regina thought, "is it weird I didn't like the art?"

"How so?" Lily asked making a disbelieving face.

Regina scrunched her nose, stirring her coffee, it was a bit bitter rather than sweet bordering on lukewarm, "I like the architecture of the building. How there were scales that made the building so in alignment yet not? Like..." She fought for the words, "like a city. It was a city for paintings. That's what I liked."

"Hmm..." Lily smiled, "see?"

"See what?"

"You still amaze me blue journal."

Regina didn't really have the heart to correct her. A girl with a balloon with bright letters spelling **Happy Birthday **passed them.

"Happy birthday!" Lily shouted.

The girl was maybe in her early twenties. Her black hair was fixated into a messy bun, slivers of hair cascaded around her oval face and bright green eyes. She wore a blue dress and black slippers. She stopped, turned around and smiled.

"Thank you!" Her voice harbored the same softness as her visage.

Then she turned and continued walking away.

"I wonder how old she is today." Lily said sipping her coffee as if it was just a regular thing.

Regina shrugged, "probably old enough to realize her dress needs a necklace to accompany it. Without it, she's just bland."

Lily laughed, "Don't be rude. What would you wear on your birthday?"

Regina paused, "well...what I'm wearing now."

Her companion looked her up and down, "no, you wouldn't. I think you'd wear something extraordinary! Like...a dress that says 'fuck me, I'm thirty.'"

The former queen raised her brows, "do I look thirty to you?!"

"What? No! No! I mean, I don't know? I-uh...how old are you?"

Regina pushed her and poured her left over cold coffee on her friends lap.

Lily shrieked, jumping from the cold beverage hitting her lap, "Okay I'm sorry-"

The brunette got up and began walking away.

"Wait!" Lily struggled to get up.

Regina stopped while sighing loudly and turned to Lily.

"I'm sorry," Lily said, still trying to get up while simultaneously whipping her pants.

"I'd wear what I'm wearing now because it doesn't matter. It's what I put on this morning, it's what I have on now; birthday suit." Then she began walking away again.

Lily finally got up and began scrubbing her pants with her sleeve, "birthday suit?"

Her features turned to one of surprise, "wait-it's not-? _Is_ **it**?!" she shouted to her friend.

Regina turned around for a second with a blank expression, "sorry it doesn't say, 'fuck me I'm thirty.' Maybe I'll wear that in a year from today."

"_Oh-_" She decided to forget her pants, "Regina wait!"

The former queen then ran.

_Dear Henry,_

_..._

Regina sighed, tapping her blue pen on the newly turned page, holding her head in her palm.

She stared at her beginning, _Dear Henry._

_What else? What could she say?_

"Regina?"

She glanced up, first smelling coffee then she met eyes of sorrow swirling in brown, "Lily."

Her hands were behind her back and she was shifting nervously.

"I see you've finally found me."

"Well you said if we got lost we should go here because it's near our hotel."

"And yet it took you hours."

"Yeah...um...I had to do something first." She sat down quickly, "did you wait here for hours?"

Regina looked away then glared at her, "that doesn't matter, what is that?" She pointed to what Lily was nervously hiding behind her back.

Lily bit her bottom lip. A habit Regina has noticed increasingly. Then, almost hesitantly her arms came up and she set a small box with a red bow on the table.

To say she was surprise would be an understatement.

"I may not have much money because you hold all of it. But I had _some_ and...I don't know you that well, a fact I realized while looking around..."

Regina looked between her and the box, she slowly reached for it. Lily watched with concern.

"And...I did my best." Lily finished.

The box felt light. She uncurled the box, letting the velvet fall limply to the sides. Then she carefully undid the cardboard fixated to the sides. Slowly, almost with wonder and fulfillment, she let the box open wide and the four sides seemed to just open like a flower revealing the jewel within.

A purple diamond shined like the setting sun with smaller white diamonds adorning the sides making it into a heart. It was attached to a long white chain.

"It's not real," Regina looked up when Lily spoke, she was still fidgeting in her seat.

"I didn't have that much. It's just…you were talking about necklaces when we saw that girl and I thought it would be sort of funny because...I didn't want you to be bland on your birthday." She smiled and blinked her eyes showing genuine concern.

Regina tried not to show emotion. She tried not to cry. But nothing could cover her surprise. Her mouth was slightly agape, her chest heaved slightly deeper, and her lips betrayed her as she smiled and looked back at the fake purple diamond. It was the first cheap jewelry she's ever owned, oh but it was the best one yet.

"What do you think?" Lily asked.

Regina bit both lips.

"Oh you don't like it..." Lily gasped, and Regina wanted to laugh, wondering if she even saw her smile only a few seconds prior.

Instead she said, "Help me put it on."

Just as Lily said Regina still surprises her, Regina thought it was also true vise versa.

_Dear Henry,_

_Tell me, what is the best gift you've ever received?_

_-love mom_

_P.S. - don't you just love the smell of coffee?_

**###**

**Two weeks later**

_"You're back!" Regina smiled widely while putting her horse away._

_Krystina smiled as well, her hair as red as the leaves falling outside. Her skin as light as the cloudy days, and especially her drab work clothes, as brown and odd mixed with colors as the autumn leaves._

_"Hello my princess," she held her arms wide open and Regina ran into her embrace, "I have something for you," she whispered into her ear._

_She spun the young princess and then she just held her. Smelling her lavender scent almost masked by the weather outside from riding._

_"Really?" Regina let go._

_Krystina walked backwards with one raised brow, "do you know of the story of the beautiful fruit? In some cultures it presents peace and beauty in a young woman."_

_Regina followed, "like me."_

_Krystina nodded, "yes sunshine. Like you. This one particular fruit also signifies wisdom and youthfulness."_

_"What is it?"_

_"Hush, let me speak sunshine."_

_Regina nodded._

_"Okay...now, Hera, the queen of the gods-"_

_Regina commented, "Sounds prudish."_

_Krystina threw hay at her, "hush! Okay, now where was I? Oh! Right. Now, Hera-" she held a finger up to silence Regina and climbed a wooden wall of the stall, "the Queen of the gods received such a fruit from Gaia, the earth mother. Only...it was the seed. She entrusted Hesperides, the Daughters of the Evening, and the help of a fierce dragon, these trees grew in a secret garden."_

_"Where?"_

_Krystina sighed and flippantly waved her hand, "somewhere in the west I think."_

_"Ah," Regina nodded, "because that's not vague at all."_

_"Princess, do you want your gift or not?"_

_"I wanted a gift, a special one, not just a story."_

_"And you will! Let me finish!"_

_"Okkaayy," Regina leaned against a pillar._

_"Now...these fruits were golden, and tasted as sweet and lovely as honey, and had magical properties to whomever ate it. They could heal, they renewed themselves as they were eaten, __and__ if thrown, they always hit their target and then returned to the thrower's hand."_

_"Sounds like one hell of a fruit-"_

_Krystina rolled her eyes, "my princess you have terrible listening skills."_

_"Only for you my kitchen maid."_

_"Anyway! A great hero named Hercules-"_

_Regina nodded._

_"-Had to steal these apples so he had Atlas, the great big strong man, go into the garden and strangle the dragon! Then Hercules took the apples to Greece, only to have Athena return them to Hesperides. So this fruit, it's important to Hera. So what happens when it's stolen?"_

_Regina shrugged, "something bad?"_

_"Terribly so." Krystina said._

_"Eris, the goddess of discord__**, **__was angry not to be included among the gods asked to attend a wedding feast. She came uninvited then she threw one of the apples, labeled "For the Fairest,"-"_

_Regina looked surprised._

_"-onto a table at the feast. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each so narcissistically assumed that this lovely wonderful fruit was meant for herself. When they realized they had the same idea in mind, they went to ask Paris, a prince of some far off land you'll never know, to settle the matter, and he awarded the apple to Aphrodite, for she is the goddess of love."_

_Regina frowned._

_"In revenge, Hera and Athena supported a Great War in this far off land that lead to a great civilizations destruction. Because of this, the fruit has a well-known phrase; known to all throughout the worlds. It's something to refer when an argument is provoked."_

_"What it is?" Regina asked, now so entranced by her friend's voice she stood just below her._

_"The apple of discord."_

_Regina frowned, "__you__ brought __me__...an __apple__? Well it better be golden."_

_Krystina laughed and jumped down next to her friend, "I brought something better."_

_She reached behind her then presented seed._

_Regina raised her brow, "__**seeds**__?"_

_She nodded, "from the garden itself."_

_She handed it to her and Regina examined them, "from the garden itself huh?"_

_"Put the new dragon to sleep myself."_

_Regina laughed, "Will you help me plant them? And will they be golden?"_

_Krystina shrugged, "it's going to be grown in a magical land filled with dark magic. Maybe it'll turn out to be the reddest apples you'll ever see."_

_"I knew you didn't get it from the garden itself!"_

_"I most certainly did! Now-tell me sunshine, how are you?"_

_Regina looked positively happy as she pocketed the apple seeds, "perfect. I'm perfect."_

_"Are you now?"_

_Regina nodded, "all magical apples aside, I want you to officially meet someone! You didn't stay long the last time and I'm sorry but I can't wait anymore longer!"_

_Krystina frowned, "whom?"_

_The brunette grabbed her hand and she pulled her to the other side of the stables. There in a small corner of the stables so far from them, raking hay into a pile stood a young boy. Probably around the age of sixteen: a few years older than Regina. He had dark hair the color of charcoal and as messy and untamed as the weather outside. He wore a light faded blue uniform signifying he is a stable boy. He had a square jaw and kind eyes. When he noticed them his eyes immediately displayed joy. He smiled._

_Regina looked absolutely happy, "this is Daniel."_

_Krystina raised a brow, "Dan-? Oh, Daniel."_

_She said it with a fringe of uncertainty, a slight uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach._

_"So you're the brave Daniel whom saved my-__the__ Princess."_

_A slight blush crossed his slightly dirty face, Krystina found she did not like this one bit._

_"Certainly," he nodded and his voice seemed to be tipping the point of change._

_He looked embarrassed about that then looked to Regina. Something flickered between them. A sort of mischievous nature lingering in the air. Krystina took a deep breath._

_"And?" She asked._

_Regina jumped, "and? Oh! And Daniel, this is Krystina. My oldest and...Only friend."_

_She nodded then clasped her hands together looking down._

_Krystina held out her hand, "hopefully not the only one now that you're here."_

_Daniel shook it but stopped after her sentence, lingering his hold, "oh, me? No."_

_Hurt flickered Regina's fair features._

_"I mean, maybe."_

_Regina seemed sad now._

_"I erm- I mean."_

_Krystina squeezed his hand once then let go._

_He seemed to hold to that, and looked between the two._

_"Well if you didn't want to be my friend then maybe-" Regina pouted then began to walk away._

_Daniel nearly tripped over his pile of hay and his tools, "wait! Princess!"_

_"And I told you not to call me that!"_

_He jumped over a horse's saddle and ran down the brick path of the stable to Regina. He grabbed her shoulder and she pushed it off._

_"You're not supposed to touch me! You dreadful-!"_

_"I'm sorry!" He shouted, his voice cracking slightly, then he cleared his throat talking again deeper, "I'm-I'm sorry."_

_Krystina stepped out from the stall and looked on curiously and painfully._

_"I didn't mean that," Daniel said, "I mean...I just mean...what princess would want to be friends with a stable boy?"_

_Regina half sighed and half laughed, "Me."_

_"Oh." He blushed and there was no hiding the spark that ignited between the two dark haired teenagers._

_They may not realize it yet, but from the outside it's more than visible._

_"Krystina told me a story," Regina suddenly said._

_"Oh?" Daniel said shifting his feet slightly._

_"Yes, want to hear about it as you help us plant the seeds?"_

_Krystina's heart seem to plummet._

_"Of course." He offered her a side smile so innocent and bright._

_Krystina gripped the wooden stall and it cracked slightly._

Regina woke up with a start. She rubbed her eyes then yawned looking out the window. For the better part of the past few miles she watched the landscape change. She twirled the heart-shaped jewel between her fingertips. It's been two weeks since she last dreamed of her old friend, she felt uncomfortable with this. Krystina will always haunt her it seems.

She looked back at Lily finding trouble in her semi-sleep state finding a place to put her head.

If truth be told, Regina wasn't use to this at all. Sure she asked her to come along. She's gotten to use to having someone be by her. To have someone to wake up in the mornings...but this is a little different now. It hasn't been long but each and every moment she's found with herself and Lily is so vastly different it's tethering to something new.

So as her new companions head lulled to the side and her body found purchase perfectly against the side of her, Regina slightly pushed. She pushed because they were so astronomically different. Not by the way she's so optimistically open-minded, and easy going, but by the fact that she's not from her world. She's from this world and Regina knows just how complicated that will be. She won't be able to fully be friends, she can't act the whole friend thing while being truthful. She racked her brain for the reason why she even impulsively invited her.

Loneliness.

The small voice in the back of her mind reminded her. This former waitress whose head currently took resident upon Regina's shoulder, showed more kindness to her than her son has in years. It seemed to soften her guards. Perhaps a pretty smile could very well be the difference from utter indifference to a smile in response. She mulled over this and didn't notice until the weight of Lily fully captivated her. This time Regina only looked at her companions features. Her soft visage gave the impression that the woman's voice would harbor the same softness. It was wrong, Regina thought.

For her voice was loud and clear, her facial features would hide the booming personality within. She was a constant contradiction. Like starbursts.

Sort of like Emma, she thought.

Shifting slightly she realized that's not the best definition to give. No, she's not like Emma. The blonde wasn't this...well… Friendly. Looking past her sleeping friend, she saw the scenery change, becoming more bland and flat against the setting sun.

The day's events had caught up with her. Trying not to put too much thought into it, she leaned her cheek into Lily's sandy colored hair, relinquishing in the small comfort the woman unknowingly provided. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

_Dear Henry,_

_Lily's okay._

_I constantly wonder if you're okay. Obviously you are. I know the Charming's and Emma would provide you well. Although it's still a lingering battle whether you're eating bear claws or eggs for breakfast._

_-Love mom_

**One month later**

_Dear Henry,  
_

_Lily was born slightly past the middle of summer. When the air is cooling down and the mornings are slightly colder than before._

Of course...it would have helped to know ahead of time instead of finding out when the waitress returned Lily's ID and said, "Happy birthday by the way!"

I'm not sure what to get her. Perhaps I'll just ask.

-love mom

"Lily you must want something..."

"I don't. My birthday is so...unkind. It always has been and I don't want a trinket to remind me of the first good birthday I've ever had. I want memories, and now I do...just let me have that."

Regina sat there, stunned. Then she sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

"Fine."

"Thank you." Lily smiled at her from the bed.

"But-" Regina started and Lily groaned.

"I will suggest an ultimatum."

"Go ahead," Lily laid on her back looking up at the ceiling now.

"Thoughts." Regina stated and watched as Lily's curiously peaked and she sat up.

"What?"

"Thoughts," Regina said again, "I'll give you my thoughts-"

The brunette stood up and walked to lay by Lily.

"A poor gift, I know, but I'll give you my thoughts."

Lily flopped back down then scrunched her face and Regina thought it was rather cut-

_No_, she reminded herself.

It was dreadfully delightful to watch her friend squirm.

"What sort of thoughts?" Lily asked skeptically.

Regina sat up and crossed her legs together, "I cannot give you my journal because it's really, rather important to me...BUT I will give you my thoughts."

Lily raised her brow then Regina opened her journal flipping through the pages, "I once thought so fervently that this trip was for someone else's own good."

Lily frowned.

"Then I met a waitress with weird taste in friends."

"You're my only friend," Lily said.

Regina peaked out from her journal and raised a brow causing Lily to smile, "anyway-"

Regina found the page she was looking for, her handwriting still immaculate in curves and loops, the fresh ink had dulled to a slightly lesser blue.

"I will read one journal entry to you."

Lily stopped playing with her hair and looked to her, "are you serious?"

Regina took a deep breath, "dreadfully so..."

Lily bit her bottom lip then nodded.

"But before I begin I must ask you to not ask any question, okay?"

Lily nodded fiercely while laying down on the bed, shifting herself to face Regina. She held her head on her arm, half her body slightly up, her hair fell in clumps from her wet hair, and her eyes spoke of delight and trust.

Regina cleared her throat, "dear Henry-"

Lily sat up, "I haven't told you this, simply because she's a bane upon my existence. Not as much as Snow, but in her own unique way_._-"

Regina glanced at Lily to see her smile then crinkle her face in confusion at the mention of Snow.

"Her name is Lily," Regina did her best not to look at Lily.

If she did she would have seen Lily's face change into something new.

"She's twenty-five and works as a waitress here in Kramerbooks &amp; Afterwords cafe where I poor over my maps and tape pictures to the journals pages."

Regina didn't see Lily's face change into one of sorrow, of pleasant happiness so pure and soft, it's only seen within the eyes. Her brown eyes, for a moment could've been the world, filled with trillions and trillions of stars that are her thoughts. She would have seen Lily as a truth in this moment.

But as always, Regina was too frighten to even take a look in the right direction. She continued to read.

"I've gone almost everywhere we've wanted to go here in Washington. Even went as far as to eat pizza here, just like you wanted." Regina made a face when she said "pizza."

Lily giggled at that. Regina raised her eyes to look at her friend.

"No wonder you didn't eat the pizza I bought," Lily said.

Regina missed Lily's moment of change, right now...she's seeing the result. The lamp from the room was dimly yellow, but it highlighted her friend's cheekbones making her giggles all the more angelic and softer. She looked back to the pages before her.

"It was dreadful."

Lily did a half laugh and a half sigh as she closed her eyes in utter understanding. She knew Regina's food taste by now.

"Anyway, she started talking to me towards the end of the fourth day I arrived here. She's absolutely...a mystery, to me."

Regina glanced to see Lily confusion, raising both her eyebrows. Her look spoke one word, "really?"

"She's like a palatial in an otherwise dreary land filled with huts and cottages. I-"

Regina stopped, seeing what she crossed out. For a moment she wondered why, then she laughed slightly.

"What?" Lily asked.

Regina looked up, "I think...I think you bothered me when I was writing this and I scratched out "I" at the beginning of the sentence."

"And?"

Regina looked back down then started again, "Never mind, she's exactly like a hut. Or rather a log that you sit on in front of a warm campfire."

She looked up to see Lily give a side smile then look to the side, "rude."

"It's rude to interrupt people," Regina said, then continued once more, "Well...the best to put her is, she's surprising. She's a bit weird."

Lily smiled at that.

Regina stopped at her next sentence then paused.

"What is it?" Lily asked, "Another part I interrupted? And another scratched word?"

She was smiling and Regina didn't want to continue. She looked down at the page.

"Oh, and she's an orphan." Regina felt like she wasn't speaking, it felt like she was hearing someone else speak.

She didn't bother looking at Lily this time. She knew the smile was gone, and it was.

"The first time she told me that, I found it to be...a resurgent of Emma."

Regina didn't realize how hard this would be.

"Like it was going to happen again. That twirling out of control world that Emma caused."

Regina found a lump forming deep in her throat begging her to stop. To not speak anymore. She hasn't said Emma's name out loud in a while.

"I suppose, in a way, it is like that, but more subtle and not so much hurtful. She also has an extreme ability to put up with my pompous riposte."

Regina glanced up to see Lily. She didn't have much of an expression. Perhaps it's because she didn't want to address the fact that Regina wrote on paper, reminding her that she has no family. That she's an orphan and always will be, even to her best friend. Regina could see her own betrayal reflected in Lily's eyes.

Regina made herself pour whatever apology she could never say, to pour whatever gratefulness she feels for this woman into this last sentence.

"Although I won't ever admit to her, she's...she's my serendipitous friend."

Regina took a breath then looked to her.

"Love mom."

Lily's eyes went from forgiveness to sudden panic, "what?"

"That's all," Regina said, then closed her journal, "my thoughts. Happy birthday."

Lily's eyes widened, "no wait, you can't just..._mom_? _**Henry**_?"

Regina could see the wheels turning in her fragile head, spinning faster and faster that metal smashed against metal creating an epiphany of sudden awareness to Regina herself. She saw the way Lily's entire outlook changed and she just...stared. She stared at her.

Then, in a voice so accusing and small she asked, "You have a child?"

Regina licked her lips then looked down, "I said you cannot ask questions-"

"You...you have a child named Henry?"

"And you said you wouldn't-"

"Who's Emma?"

Regina fought her hardest not to shout, "You said you wouldn't ask question Lily."

"But-"

An uneasy silenced stretched into their bubble and Regina suddenly felt she was sitting too close to her friend.

She did her best not to cringe under Lily's stare.

"And you _left_ him?" Lily whispered.

Regina's eyes began to water and her legs began to shake, "that's enough, I don't need to explain my reasons to you."

She sat up quickly but then Lily jumped off the bed and blocked her, "no, you can't run away like that."

"Yes I can. Now get out of my way." Regina attempted to push her back but she found Lily is still taller and still physically stronger.

Lily pushed her onto the bed.

"Lily stop," Regina got up and shoved her friend.

"No!" Lily tried to push her but Regina grabbed her wrists, finding that even if she lacks in physical strength she makes up for it with her quick thinking.

The brunette twisted Lily's arms and Lily grunted in pain. Regina had a moment to pass her. Lily yelled and turned shoving her foot in front of Regina's ankle.

"You're not running away this time!" Lily grabbed Regina's waist.

She shrugged to get her off, "Lily, let go of me." She said past her clenched teeth, thinking she'll bite her anger away.

"No," Lily held.

"Then I'm sorry," Regina elbowed her side and kicked her knee.

Lily cried out in pain and Regina took her chance to run across the room. Then she felt a hand wrap around her ankle just as she was near the door.

"No!"

Regina fell hard, her body slammed with a loud _THUMP_ and her side immediately sparked pain in her right side and the side of her head. Regina remembered her thoughts about life being in seconds. She briefly counted how long it took herself to regain her composure.

Ten.

It took ten.

Lily was on top of her by then, holding her arms above her head, pinning Regina to the floor.

"You're not running away from me Regina Mills."

Regina glared, "you...you tripped me."

"And?" Lily asked, "It was the only way."

"It hurt," Regina frowned feeling pain etch itself onto her side, reawakening her pains from the stairs the first night Lily stayed with her.

"I'm sorry," Lily looked concerned as she looked her friend up and down then, as if to remind herself she blinked a few times, "but...but you can't just...say things like that and not expect me to react. _You_ have..."

She seemed to have trouble the next word out so Regina helped, bitterly and remorsefully, "a son."

Lily's eyes expressed sorrow, "a son... Yes. Regina...you're a mother."

"I was."

Lily's eyes widen and her hold tightened, "I'm so sorry...I didn't-"

"He's not dead," Regina clarified.

Then Lily's eyes set ablaze and her nails dug into Regina's skin. She grimaced slightly at that.

"Then why the hell aren't you there taking care of him?"

Regina ground her teeth together, feeling every pain in her body. She felt the pain coil tightly around her arm and waist and hip from her fall. She felt the nails go ever deeper by Lily. Then...she felt other things. Like the floor beneath her, carpeted yet hard like the ground outside. She felt nauseated from sharing something so close to her, only to have it backfire with pain and betrayal.

Then...she felt her.

She felt Lily's weight on her pelvis, she felt Lily's long legs fold on her side and her feet on her thighs. She was so close, looming over her like a dangerous echo of something nearly lost. She saw Lily's chest heave with each breathe, her breast rose and swallowed into her chest. She wore a tank top and boxers. Her smooth skin on her legs could be felt even past Regina's long silk night pants. Regina wore a tank top as well.

She felt so exposed being trapped like this.

Lily's light hair slipped into her eyes to create a barrage of ringlets hanging down her face, "Regina please say something...tell me you didn't leave him...tell me...tell me something to make me see you differently. Say something so I won't think ill of you."

"Then get off me."

"Not a chance," Lily leaned into her and Regina dared herself not to look down to Lily's newly exposed... assets.

So she looked to the side, to the tanned colored wall, "think of it as Frankenstein."

"What?" Lily said.

Regina looked up at her friend, feeling so broken for a young boy she's never met, "remember when we first met?"

Lily nodded, her nails weren't digging into Regina's skin.

"We talked about pragmatic people?"

"Yes," Lily nodded as well.

"Don't be one of those," Regina fought every fiber of her being yelling no, she fought her aching pains, she clenched her teeth and did her best to use what little movement she had and used all her stomach muscles to sit-up slightly and said, "nothing is as it ever seems."

Lily faltered so Regina turned her body hard to the right and Lily fell off. Regina sprang to her side grabbing both of Lily's hands, pinning them to the sides of her head. She knees Lily in the stomach and Lily lost breathe for a moment and gasped to breathe.

Regina almost felt sorry, she straddled Lily's waist and leaned into her friend, to her ear and whispered, "Don't ever pin me like that again, nothing is as it ever seems. That applies to people too."

Lily whimpered and nodded.

Regina smiled, she felt it, the evil queen not only peaked through, she stuck her hand through. She pushed and cracked her way through. This was her, gripping Regina so tight. Oh how she's missed pain. She's missed this. Survival and play by plays.

Regina dug her nails into Lily's wrists, "you see my dear friend, sometimes in life-"

She started to hear Lily's whimpering becoming deep short breathes, like she was sobbing. She glanced to her side seeing Lily's eyes shut so tightly and her head faced away from Regina.

"Sometimes you have to make a decision on what to fight for."

Lily's tears fell to the carpeted floor.

"Sometimes, not all the time, but in great impossible times, at some point in your live, you have to choose what to fight for."

She felt Lily's chest heave with each shaky breath the woman beneath her took.

"And I chose to fight in a very obscure way. I chose to fight by not fighting...for him. My son."

"You mean..." Suddenly Lily turned to her.

Her face so close their nose touched by a hair. Her eyes came back to that fire that Regina always found herself drawn to in people.

"You mean you stopped. You ran away. Like a coward."

Regina let go of Lily's hand for a second and the event that occurred next was something Regina will never truly forgive herself for.

Her palm met Lily's face so fiercely and loudly, the sound boomed in her ears, it echoed in the lingering silence.

Lily yelped and her mouth was slightly open as she pressed her eyes closed then used her free hand to cup her cheek.

"I did it for him!" Regina shouted into her face.

Lily looked up, eyes wide and scared.

"Because he didn't want me anymore!" Regina felt the fringes of tears spring to the corners of her eyes, "he saw me as a monster! And...And..."

Regina took a deep breath feeling it hard to suddenly breathe, "and I did it for him...everything I've ever done since he was placed in my arms have ever been for him."

This time a sob clawed its way past her chest and into her throat. After that one, it wasn't hard to let the others through. The evil queen wasn't to be found in that moment. Regina shoulders shook and she let go of Lily and simply wrapped her arms around herself.

"He's the center of my universe," Regina cried out, "but I wasn't his... He was never mine..."

Lily sat up slowly, and Regina slipped to her lap.

"He only wanted his real mom..." Regina scolded and started to scratch the sides of her arms.

"I did everything to keep him the happiest little boy, but it was never enough."

Lily grabbed her hands to stop her from hurting herself more. She held them for a moment looking up at Regina. Pain evident in her eyes.

"I was never enough." Regina finally said.

Because it doesn't matter that she loved him to the best of her abilities. It doesn't matter that she writes everything to him in her journal. It doesn't matter that she wanted him to be happy so badly, she left to give that to him. Her final gift as a mother.

"You're enough for me." Lily said.

Regina stopped her inner monologue to look at her friend. Lily looked sincere.

"I just wanted him to be happy," Regina said, "I could only do that if I left...so he...he could be with his _real_ family."

"I know, I know," Lily spoke as she moved both of Regina's hands to one of her hands as she used the other to pull the brunette closer.

_Although_ Regina thought, _she would never understand. Lily couldn't understand. _She knew she was only saying that out of pity_._

Lily pulled her into an entrance.

Whether it be out of pity or sincerity, Regina embraced Lily fully.

"Shh..." Lily said, rubbing small circles into her friends back.

Regina grabbed onto the back of Lily's tank top, gripping her so tightly like she's the pillar to her life now. Like she was the tree to her fly-away kite in a storm.

"I'm so sorry," Regina sobbed into her shoulder, "I'm so, so sorry."

She didn't know what exactly she was sorry for. But she'd like to think it was for the slap. That would make sense.

"I know, I know," Lily said still rubbing Regina's back.

"I'm sorry," Regina repeated her mantra until her voice rang horse and she stopped.

She sniffed and breathes slowly, trying to fight the sobs still lingering making her hiccup.

"I'm going to be blue and purple hanging out with you," Lily spoke softly, interrupting the safe silence.

Regina kept her head buried in Lily's shoulder, she held her head away from her neck, staring at the wall.

She still held Lily tightly.

"Then leave," Regina said.

"But who will catch you then?" Lily said, still rubbing small circles into Regina's back.

"I seem to recall you tripping me earlier."

"That was for necessity."

"Really?" Regina said, "So not only will you catch, you'll trip me as well?"

"Sometimes in life...falling is like catching someone. You needed to be stopped Regina."

Regina closed her eyes and sighed, "Did you know that the universe is infinite?"

"Who doesn't?" Lily said.

"Well...do you want to know how I know?"

"Sure," Lily said.

"If I do, promise me you won't ask any more questions about my past."

There was silence as Lily stopped rubbing circles into her back. Then it resumed.

"Promise."

"Good," Regina sighed, "Because now you'll know why you're my center as well."

_Dear Henry,_

_Krystina promised me everything. Do you know what happens when you are promised everything and they cannot deliver? You expect so much and you love so much...then you find out it's not as it seems. That nothing is ever as it seems._

_Not even my kitchen maid friend._

_Also…Lily and I had a moment today. It wasn't one to be forgotten. It was one of those moments that can't fully be described because…it's yours. This moment is hers and mine._

_-love mom_

Regina started at the ceiling thinking that the star is right there, that dreadful star. She delved into memories after she wrote that. Sometimes it happens. Sometimes she'll remember her just as vividly as her mother's vengeful wrath. Lily snored slightly next to her. She wouldn't let go of Regina after her breakdown.

_"There's a legend regarding that star right there," Regina pointed, "I read about it. It's like...a whole world where people don't grow up."_

_"Neverland," Krystina said._

_"Yeah! How did you know?"_

_Krystina smiled and moved Regina's long hair out of the way to reveal a patched up lip, "I read about it too."_

_"You can read!?"_

_"Careful sunshine, I may bring more damage to your pretty face."_

_Regina giggled, "Nothing you do will ever be considered harmful. You're as harmful as plants."_

_Krystina laughed, "I'm not sure that's the best definition princess. I could be poisonous for all you know. A simple kiss and voila! Dead."_

_"Kissing you will not force me dead."_

_"Wanna bet?"_

_"Yes." Regina looked so determined Krystina wondered if she actually heard._

_"Princess?"_

_She sat up, "alright, if I win I want you bring me back something special from your journey."_

_Krystina sat up, "are you serious?"_

_"And if you win," Regina cocked her head to the side, "weelll...at least you kissed a princess."_

_The red head laughed, "How does one win at kissing?"_

_"Simple! If I die then you're right and you get a kiss. And if not..." Regina smiled leaning to the side and Krystina hoped she didn't fall off the roof of the stables, "then I want something special for mother's first task for you."_

_Then a shadow seemed to wash over her face, she looked down, "I'm sorry about her by the way… My mother..."_

_"It's nothing," Krystina touched with the tips of her fingers, the bottom of the princess's chin, lifting her up gently._

_"But making deals with mother never...never fairs well."_

_"Well...in this case, I'll still be around and see you every now and then. I'm still a kitchen maid. I just...have to take a few trips every now and then."_

_Regina frowned, "but the last trip you took was so long..."_

_"That was family business, remember?"_

_Regina shrugged, "I dunno...I was pretty sure there was a secret lover you're still not telling me about."_

_Krystina smiled, "the only secret I have...is that I'm a terrible cook."_

_Regina smirked._

_Then she leaned forward and Krystina leaned back._

_"What?" Regina frowned, "I thought we had a deal. Kiss me or die."_

_"Princess...I'm not sure if you fully-"_

_Regina sprang across capturing Krystina's pink lips._

_"Mmmh!" The red head made a surprise sound at the base of her throat._

_Then slowly, she rested her hand on Regina's cheek. Krystina's lips were chapped from walking around in the sun and baring the wind, she often bit her lip to keep from boredom. Regina's was softer almost like the silk dress that graces her by clinging to her body now. Together it created a sort of...contradiction. Krystina's hair was short, and Regina's was long. It was like a twisted opposite nature. So forbidden as their friendship, yet so nice like roses in the summer._

_Regina pulled away first, her eyes opening slowly and the stars twinkled in her eyes, making it look like the universe itself was her._

_"I didn't die," Regina said, "told you. Now you have to get me something."_

_Krystina opened her mouth then closed it, "we-well..." She smoothed the crinkles in her dress, "what would you like?"_

_Regina shrugged, "get me something nice. Not to wear, mother would be upset, but something nice."_

_Krystina nodded._

_Silence._

_"Regi-"_

_"Your lips are somehow rougher than this prince I met while you were away. He's such an ass-." She said, focusing on a tree far off into the distance._

_Krystina remained frozen._

_"I'm sorry, were you going to say something?" She looked back at her red haired friend, "I trailed off."_

_"Oh...you-I mean-"_

_She wanted to crush very person who's ever laid a finger on her._

_"Did you know there are infinite stars?" She said instead._

_Regina blinked a few more times than necessary, "no?"_

_"Did you want to?"_

_Regina thought about it, "yes."_

**###**

**Two months later in Wyoming**

"Lily have you seen my-" Regina stopped short from the space between the bathroom and the hotel beds to see her friend in a...peculiar position.

Her lip was stuck out of her mouth as if in hard concentration, she stood upside down on her hands and head, with her legs bent so her knees touch her elbows. She was position in the middle of the floor.

Regina opened her mouth then closed it, and sighed leaning against the corner, "Lily what it gods name are you doing?"

"It's the beginnings to a headstand," she grunted then she slowly started to lift her legs and yelped as she tumbled backwards.

Regina surprised a giggle, "uh huh..."

She walked over to her friend, towering over her, creating a sort of looming shadow over her from the light coming through the windows.

"Have you seen my brush? I'd like to brush my hair before going to Yellowstone Park."

"_Wow_ Regina, yes, I am okay. I'm fine, you're so kind to ask." Lily sarcastically commented as she got up and rubbed her back.

Regina gave her snide smirk in response then held her hand out, pulling Lily to her feet.

"You didn't catch me by the way," Lily walked past her, "so why would I let you know where the brush is?"

Regina raised an eyebrow, "it's not my fault you're so clumsy all the time. Besides, I picked you up, that's like the cousin of catching."

"But it's still not catching," Lily dug through her bag then threw Regina's black brush at her.

The queen caught it easily.

"Oh sure, catch that!"

_Dear Henry,_

_The colors invert creating a rainbow on the earth. A floor rainbow._

_The sky was slightly cloudy and somehow Lily managed to say choice words to a few angry parents and now we are driving back on a bus to our hotel. __I sometimes wonder about my humanity in these moments._

_Slapping Lily again would be wonderful._

_-Love mom_

* * *

**Past**

"Stop stop, get off-" Regina breathed into her mouth speaking so softly.

"Mmmh..." Emma pushed further wrapping Regina's legs around her pelvis.

"Emma..." She said it so small and breathlessly but on the inside was pure panic.

She wanted out.

"Emma," a bit stronger this time.

Emma gripped her thighs digging her nails into soft skin and Regina wondered when she took off her pants; the blondes hands went to her waist, or her shirt for that matter. Emma kissed her once more, roughly than before and pressed her hips more firmly between Regina's thighs.

"Emma stop!" This time her voice made the blondes movements stop, "get off."

"Wh-what's wrong? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry I-" her chest was heaving as she leaned off and Regina's legs hung loosely wrapped around Emma.

Emma had only her shirt on by this time, her lips looked swollen and her hair clung to her sweaty face. Tiny beads of sweat smudged as she pushed her damp hair out of her eyes. She was so beautiful. She talked so softly and calmly but...Regina just couldn't. Not when their son was still missing.

"What's wrong?" Emma's chest finally stopped heaving, it rose then fell slowly as she regained composure.

Regina sat up, "we can't do this."

She ignored Emma's visage turning from confusion to utter betrayal, "I'm sorry for whatever I did, I didn't-"

"It's not that," Regina couldn't find her clothes.

"No, I mean I didn't kn-"

"Emma-"

"Was it something I did? I'll-"

"Emma stop!"

And for the second time that the brunette had said it, Emma froze again.

Finally Regina just conjured new clothes, she looked at Emma. Her legs like ashen moonlight shining against the torches of the hut. Her neck slender and long with one small looking bruise Regina had made with her lips earlier. Then she looked at Emma's arms, they had held Regina so carefully, like she'll break if she exerted more force. Then her eyes-emeralds shining in a dark confined room. She glowed like a jewel.

The former queen waved her hand once and Emma was dressed in a black long sleeve turtleneck shirt and dark pants. She was now dulled except for her eyes that still displayed a ring that swirled a wanting inside Regina.

Emma jumped looking at her new clothes.

So Regina took Emma's momentarily confusion to speak, "_our_ son is still out there."

Emma looked up, cheeks still slightly pink, "right." She looked away, "right, right. Henry. _Oh god_ Henry."

She put her face in her hands and whipped her hair out of her face with both hands, combing back the blonde revealing a frazzled visage.

She was so beautiful.

Even in black covering almost every inch of beautiful skin. She wasn't dulled at all. Nothing can dull this woman.

Regina turned away patting her chest and taking deep breaths.

**###**

Emma was surprised Regina conjured new clothes for them both. She saw the way Regina seemed panicked about this, and she didn't understand until she said _**our**__ son_.

Emma felt pretty stupid by then.

What will their son think of them doing this while he's in mortal danger?

She sighed, "Regina?"

"Yes?"

Regina didn't even turn around. Hurt coiled around Emma's heart.

"Do you have an idea of how we should get out?" Emma got up and dusted herself off.

Regina's caramel eyes looked at her briefly and Emma's heart quickened, hurt being so far once those lovely eyes came back to her. Then she looked away again as if pained. Emma thought it would just be better if she didn't have a heart to begin with.

"Maybe." Regina stood arms crossed and observed the wood of the hut, "I can feel it…"

Emma frowned, "What are you talki-"

_Bang_

_Bang_

_Bang_

Emma jumped but she saw that Regina's composure stayed the same. As if she was expecting that.

"Grab my hand," those eyes turned towards her once more and Emma didn't need to be told twice.

Hands joined as one Regina spoke, "they're on the other side, and we need to help."

**###**

"Sound the alarms! Go, go, go!" A woman with bright crystal white hair shouted.

Her voice was a melody speaking of dangers and forbidden desires. Tink frowned as Charming suddenly began walking towards her.

They've been spotted.

"Hold him down," Tink told Mary Margaret.

"But why? He's-"

"The mermaid there is a siren," the words were barely out of Tinker Bells mouth when Snow grabbed onto her husband.

"What about me?" Killian asked.

"They don't want you," Tink said.

"What? Why?"

"Blondes-remember?" Tink rolled her eyes at him.

"But why _him_?! He's not even magic!"

Suddenly Mary Margaret shouted as a mermaid with hair like moonlight grabbed her.

"Oh," Tink said.

"That's right," Killian spoke.

The couple together are true love. After all, what's the most powerful magic in the universe?

She grabbed onto her satchel and felt Regina's heart quicken. She must have felt that they were near.

"The hut's right up here," Tink said as she pushed a mermaid with wobbly legs off of her.

"Attina-she must know by now," Peaches shouted as she attempted to help Snow.

"Go!" Snow shouted punching the mermaid who grabbed David.

David tried walking towards another mermaid. Snow punched her too.

Hook grabbed Tink's arm, together they ran down a narrow hallway.

"So why is it that only David's affected by their voices?" Killian asked.

"Because mortal man like him are their targets to gain the women. But in this case it's both."

"So," he huffed, "why isn't Mary Margaret affected?"

"Because she's a brunette."

"They really don't like any other hair color...why?"

Tink sighed, "We have more oppressing matters, remember?"

"Right," he sighed.

The hut looked like a small wooden cabin sitting in a bright blue cave shimmering from the water around it.

Seaweed suddenly splashed past her and hit the rock wall, Killain grabbed her and together they ducked, "Watch it!"

"What is-"he began as another long strip of green flew past them, this time Tinkerbell pushed him and it fell against the floor with a _SPLAT_.

"My specialty," Attina shouted from above a hole in the upper left corner of the cave.

She raised her hand and threw another.

"Don't let them touch you!" Tink shouted.

"Figured that much out for me-self thank you very much," he grunted as he nearly missed a step.

Attina growled at her failed attempted to trap them so she jumped and Tink gasped as she landed in from of her.

"AH-"the pixie stumbled back and landed on her backside as Attina, the sister of Ariel towered over her with her red hair falling over her shoulders.

Hook shouted and rammed himself into her waist, she shouted an _OMPH_\- while grunting when she landed onto the rock.

"GET THEM!" he shouted as Attina's elbow met his side but he held on.

Tinkerbell jumped up and ran towards the hut, she could feel Regina now, her heart was right by her side and she could feel her. She felt slight panic and…

She must not be in there alone…

Tink jumped over the small canel and banged on the hut door. There must be a door, something that-

She felt Regina's hope renewed and some part of her told her to step back, so she did.

"NO!" Attina shouted and Killian yelled before a loud smack reverberated through the cave and he was silent.

The blonde turned around to see Hook face down on the floor and Attina's eyes blazing as red as her hair as she lifted her hands, Tinks' heart began to race with fear as the water in the canel suddenly started to rise with Attina's movements.

A smile ran across her face as her red hair fell into her eyes, "There's no way she can get out, that hut is designed for two people. The only way out is to have what you desire the most. When you're alone all you want is another person and to get out. But that isn't it."

"So…" Tink breathed out, "You're saying if there's two people then…there's a possibility you can leave?"

The red head smiled, "it seems you became illiterate hanging around all those pathetic group of "heros"-"the water began to sail towards her and Tink began to really panic, "poor little Tinkerbell, always choosing the wrong side. First with Rufio and now with _them_."

She clamped her hands together in fist and the water gushed towards her forming into a ball with her inside it. She couldn't breathe.

Regina's heart pounded against her side.

As long as she has this organ of hers…she will do anything Tink asks, even if it's just a strong feeling. Attina said this hut will open to any desire of another. That's its purpose. To trap someone with hope to escape. But would if it was the desire not to escape but the desire to help?

With all the voice in her mind she repeated within the confines of her head-

_HELP ME_

_HELP ME_

_HELP ME_

**###**

Regina felt it, she felt her. The panic and the sudden lack of air. She needs her.

"She needs me," Regina squeezed Emma's hand.

"What?" Emma said.

"Listen closely Ms. Swan, we need to do a huge burst of power."

"Like a cannon?"

"Yes, sort of, just…listen and don't let go. Attina is on the other side of that door, she'll want to trap me again."

"Got it," Emma held her tightly.

**###**

Tinkerbell felt faint. Her head began to hurt as well as her chest. She continued repeating it.

_HELP ME_

_HELP ME…_

_HELP…_

_Hel…_

_Hee…_

_Regina…_

_Plea-_

The wall to the hut blasted apart and wooden shards flew here and there. Attina's concentration waned and Tink fell harshly as water poured around her. She coughed feeling the water burn coming up from her throat and nose.

"Tinkerbell!" a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders.

She looked up into the eyes of the woman's heart she held, "Regina…you heard me."

"I don't understand," Emma said.

Regina didn't pay any attention to her, she brushed Tink's curls out of her face and patted her back helping her sit up.

"_You_-"Attina's voice felt like the wooden shards clawing at her brain frightening her.

She felt Regina's body go rigid and her emotional state sky rocket as her chest constricted. She furred her brows in confusion wondering if Regina knew her. She must have. No…she does. She can feel in Regina's heart. This is bad. Mermaids eat brunettes, but if there's a connection…

"You've been a pain in the ass since you first arrived-"Attina pointed to Emma and the savior took a step back, "how dare you-"

She lifted her arms quickly water following and it lengthen out like a whip, "You never mess with a goddess you wretched thing. The rules of good and evil don't apply to us."

**###**

Emma's eyes widen as this red haired woman flared her water whip like Indiana Jones and flung it towards her.

"No!" Regina shouted but the water whip lashed at Emma's torso and blaring pain erupted from her stomach.

She fell to her knees and coughed letting out painful gasps of air. She looked to Regina whom still held the pixie in her arms looking at Attina in horror.

"Leave her alone," she said.

Attina looked to her, "Oh my sunshine this reminds me of something…don't you remember? Although the roles seemed to be a bit…_wrong_."

The way she said, "wrong" was like glass meeting the pavement. So violent and loud.

"Oh do you remember when you always fought for me in those days?"

Emma couldn't get up, she looked down at her hands gripping where the goddess had hit her. Her fingers sported red liquid and she gulped.

She didn't want to die.

Attina moved side to side cracking her neck and back then make a lashing sound as she flung her whip, "Don't you want to be together and have those balls every weekend? Don't you want to dance with me?"

She flung her whip and Emma barely got out a whisper of, "no…"

It wrapped around Tink's waist and she was harshly ripped from the brunettes arms as she was flung across the cave hitting the rock with a _thud_. She fell onto the floor limp and motionless. Emma felt like vomiting.

She wanted Regina to get up, to do something, but she simply sat there with fear so evident in her eyes she wondered if she should have asked about Attina in the hut.

"Didn't you want to dance with me every evening once?" the red haired goddess stepped over the water inching closer to Regina's ever shrinking form.

"And now that, that useless stable boy isn't here, "she was a foot away from Regina now.

Emma shakily tried pushing herself up on her elbows, "Regina…" she whispered.

She didn't like the way this goddess had power over the ever composed brunette.

"I know you kept our apple tree, didn't I tell you? Redder than anything and more magical prone to any other apple in all the lands, "the water whip dissolved as it splashed to the floor and she knelt in front of Regina.

Emma fought desperately to get up, but every inch she made pain throbbed through her.

Attina's long fingers grabbed Regina's cheeks, "don't you remember how you got me to get that apple tree?"

The former mayor whimpered, "don't…"

The goddess pulled Regina into a kiss and this time Emma was sure her stomach didn't lurch because of her injury. The kiss wasn't at all tender. It was rough with her nails digging into Regina's soft skin on her face, it was quick yet it seemed to drag on.

Then she pulled away and something swirled in Regina's eyes, something like lust and remembrance, "don't you remember sunshine?"

Regina nodded in a daze by the way her eyes seemed to gloss over, "Krystina…" she hummed.

"Here, my princess, I'm known as Attina," she smiled into Regina's gaze.

Then the goddess began to hum a child tune. Emma recognized it as "You are my sunshine."

Regina's eyes glowed a bright orange as Attina's lips smoked over hers humming the lullaby. The blonde could see the magical blue begin to capture Regina's form again. It was happening again, she was losing her.

Regina hummed alone as a smile graced her features, "Krystina…"

Emma held her hand out, set on using her magic. But she couldn't, it felt stuck…her hand flopped onto the wet floor.

"Regina…" she felt her head begin to lighten.

Then she started to hit her head against the stone below her.

_Stay up_, she thought to herself.

_Stay_ **up**.

She needed to bring her back. What…how does…

Her thoughts began to blur.

"Krystina…" Regina hummed again, "you're back…"

"I am my princess…"

Emma groaned.

"Regina…"

"Krystina," Regina lifted her hand to touch Attina's red hair, her fingers were turning blue.

She needed to be louder, "REGINA!"

Emma shouted feeling a new surge spur through her and she lifted herself. She wasn't losing her today, not now. She just got her.

The brunette jumped and for a moment her eyes flickered back to her dark brown, "Emma?"

She turned around and her eyes widen, "Emma!"

The blue began to seem back into her sleeve as she tried getting up but then Attina gripped her wrists and pulled her down, "No."

Regina looked to her with fear once more, "Stay with me princess and we'll have balls every weekend and I'll even dance with you."

That same orange hue sparked in those brown eyes.

"Regina don't listen to her!" Emma shouted beginning to crawl slightly.

The former queen blinked and she looked confused, "but-"she looked to Emma, "Krystina is my oldest friend…"

Attina smiled and gripped her wrists tighter. Emma found she wasn't strong to fight. Well then…she'll just use her words.

"No she isn't-"

The goddess glared at her and tugged Regina's arms to her, "don't listen to her sunshine. She's a liar! I've seen what saviors can do, I've had glimpses of what she can do."

"Don't listen to her," Emma said.

"Oh but you must my princess," she let go of one of her wrists and gently placed her fingertips to the bottom of Regina's chin, softly forcing her to look into her eyes, "I love you remember? Not some stable boy or even a savior in a sheep's disguise. I can see what happens to you. I've seen what has happened."

"Regina-"Emma tried.

Attina merely talked louder, "that rotten woman tried taking away your son. Your life! Your happy ending!"

"No!" Emma shouted.

Regina's expression began to darken as the blue tinge worked its way back up her hands.

"Don't listen to her Regina," Emma said feeling cold now.

"She tells lies," Attina said through gritted teeth, "stay with me…" her whispers coiled around the brunette's ears and Regina seem to reveal in it.

"Regina…" she whimpered.

"Now…" Attina moved her dark hair out of Regina's face as she kissed her nose, "**destroy** her."

Emma gasped as Regina suddenly stood up with her gaze never leaving her goddess friend. She smirked as she turned towards the bleeding blonde. She noticed how the blue almost reached her fingertips. Her whole demeanor seem to overshadow everything as she opened her palm and fire erupted in her palm.

"Regina…" Emma said feeling frighten as the woman she's tried so hard to protect stalk ever so closer.

"Don't worry Emma," even her voice dropped a couple temperatures, "I'll make this quick for you.

Her green eyes widen as Regina held her hand with the fireball higher ready to throw when-

A look of pain bloomed quickly on her visage, "aahh-"the fire was extinguished as both her hands flew to her chest and she dropped to her knees.

Emma cringed as her body landed with a painful sound.

"What?" Attina jumped up and Emma followed her gaze to the other side where Tink stood with a charcoal looking…orb in her hand.

"Why you little wretched bug." Attina spat out in disgust.

Tink looked determined as she squeezed the thing in her hand, "Regina I forbid you to hurt Emma."

"Argghh…" Regina cried in pain squeezing her chest, "don't hold it so tight!"

Tink jumped a bit frazzled and loosened her hold, "sorry. I didn't know how to stop you sooner."

The brunette took a gasp full of air and it sounded painful as her throat seemed to screech with each breathe, "thank you…" she whispered holding her shirt where her chest is.

Attina glared at Tink, "give it." She simply stated.

"No," Tink said, "Regina gave it me so it's not yours to have. I control her now."

Emma didn't understand, but then everything started to slowly fade. She could feel it.

Their voice became muffled. The air smelled rancid with fish and the salty sea water permeated her senses. She wanted to close her eyes.

"Argh!" Attina yelled probably attacking Tinkerbell.

"Regina!" Tink yelled and Emma assumed Regina is in the fight now.

She's okay at least. Her eyes lids began to droop with each blink, lagging farther and farther. The ceiling dripping with water highlighted by the blue glowing water blurred more and more.

"Emma!"

She closed her eyes not caring anymore.

**###**

Regina landed on her knees hard as she knelt besides Emma. Her blonde savior lay in a sprawl with one hand over her stomach and the other reaching for something ahead of her.

"No, no, no, Emma you are not dying on me today."

"Grrrr…!" Attina growled in her fire bonds as Tink stood nearby gazing at the goddess with a bit of fear mixed with hatred.

She trapped Attina with fire like her mother had before. It doesn't last long, she remembers. She just needed the time to look over Emma.

"Oh Emma…-"she gently removed her hand covered in her own blood and the long gash from her stomach will leave a scar but that's okay, "You're such an idiot."

She grabbed her bloodied hand, lifting it to her lips. As her lips met the back of Emma's palm a swirling purple hue flew out of that simple press of skin. It wrapped around the blondes arm crawling ever so slowly to her torso magically repairing the large gash and any other bits of bruises. Emma awakened with a deep breath and an even larger cough. Regina let go of her hand looking at the savior with that same look of hope. With her eyes hooded by her lashes and her lips pulled into a sad smile. Some would call it love, but Regina will never admit to that.

"NO!" Attina growled causing the witch to shiver slighter, it caused Emma's eyes to widen in fear as she turned to her friend.

The blonde rolled towards her, "Regina! Re-"she grasped her black shirt and Regina merely grabbed her elbows lifting her into a sitting position, "Don't listen to her-"

"I know," Regina said, "but-"

She looked to Attina's fierce visage speaking more of anger than anything else, "I don't think I can escape her."

"And you never will princess," the red haired goddess said as she lifted her head for more emphasis, "ne-_ver, _I've watched you grow from a timid princess to an even weaker human being in the arms of that stable boy and your god-forsaken mother."

She start to twist and turn her body in her fire chains, "and I made you who you are today, I put ideas in your head for years! You can't escape me, I'm in the midst of your brain, the coiling of veins in your heart-"

The fire that held her started to dim and Emma pulled Regina's arm, "we have to go."

She shoved her off, listening to her old friend talk.

"I made that stupid deal with your mother _not_ for the sake of us. Did you know she feared me? at least….Once she found out who I really was. When you got that pretty little scar-"

Regina unconsciously touched her scar above her lip.

"She knew who I was that night. When I asked to speak to her alone-"

The fire was barely a wisps of wind now and Emma tugged her but she pushed her away.

"I threaten to kill her if she didn't let me see you. The bitch thought I was a goddess in love," Attina smirked as the fire left smoke in her hands, "but really I just found the most perfect meal. "

She disappeared and reappeared in front of Regina.

Emma attempted to pull her but Attina merely waved her hand and she flew into the canel of water.

It's always her eyes. Those eyes of a goddess were like sunsets kissing the ocean with a bit of mirth seeping into you. She heart Tink dive into the water but she didn't quite register the fact that Emma was in danger again. There was a goddess with two names in front of her.

"You're going to become a part of me," she whispered.

Regina thought that sounded wonderful but some part of her felt panicked, she figured that was just Tinkerbell's feelings as she still held her heart.

"You're going to be mine and mine only."

Regina nodded.

"All you have to do is…tell me you love me."

She thought about a memory so far off into the past, during a time when she did love this mermaid in front of her. She loved her so much she waited. Everyday.

_Regina hummed grooming her horse._

_When-_

_"Hello my sunshine."_

_Regina's body did a slight jump stirring the horse and she looked ahead, past his back to a woman with bright red autumn colored hair._

_"You are my sunshine," Kristina leaned against the post on the stable, her oceanic eyes staring at Regina while she began her song._

_The young girl merely hushed and petted her horse, staring back. She bite her bottom lip then titled her head, begging with just a movement for her to continue._

_"My only sunshine," her voice was like icicles shimmering from the morning sun._

_"You make me happy," and her looks were as deadly as the sun setting on the sea, her eyes spoke of storms ready to drown her._

_"When the skies are grey," she titled her head and hummed, twirling her body and out-stretching her arms._

_Regina watched, brushing slower and slower the horses hide._

_Krystina hummed then grabbed the stalls fence and jumped over with such finesse Regina did not expect from a kitchen maid._

_"Hello my sunshine," her voice was like velvet now, sleek and deep._

_Regina patted Ricochet and ran to Krystina, "you're back."_

_Krystina's arms slowly snakes around the princess. The red head felt her young friend's body becoming slender and lean, her chest felt slightly plumper than the last time, she was taller than before, nearly as tall as her now._

_"How's my princess?" She patted her back then let go completely._

_Regina shrugged, then walked past her to close the gate, "Daniel took me riding to the hill. He's so amazing-"_

_Krystina frowned but Regina missed it._

_"He can climb rocks and I almost fell! He said I was as stubborn as a mule and then a hit him. He helped me get out of a tea party that I'm pretty sure mother wasn't happy about but he made a clear-oh! And we were thinking about having a picnic, all three of us! We've missed you and Daniel thought-"_

_"Whoa hold on Regina."_

_Her hands cupped her young friends face._

_"I just got you back. Let me spend a little time with you until I have to share my time with you with some...__stable boy__." Krystina said "stable boy," like he was bad smell._

_"Daniel. His name is Daniel." Regina laughed, "You always call him stable boy, and he said he's getting irked about that. I told him you just like to call people names."_

_Krystina nodded, then fully removed herself from Regina, "Okay, Daniel. I will just call him Daniel from now on, okay?"_

_"Okay, because he's not you know, just a stable boy that is. He's much more," Regina smiled and Krystina noticed how the scar above her lip was looking so much as a part of her now._

_"Okay my sunshine." Regina smiled and Krystina kissed her forehead._

She could be that again. The same little girl that listened to her lullabies like a drunken teen. She could spend eternity with her as she once wanted. If she just said it…if she just-

"I lo-"she gasped.

There it was again, that burning chest sensation. She looked over Attina's shoulder seeing nothing. Tink must be doing this underwater, squeezing her heart. She felt defiance seeping through to her from her pixie friend.

She would've fallen to her knees if not for the goddess's arms, "Fight it Regina."

"I-I…can't… she has my heart."

The look at splashed across Attina's face wasn't one of surprise. It was more anger than anything else.

She growled as let Regina go to stumble to the floor.

"You can't love me properly if you don't have your heart can't you?"

Regina's chest ached but she was conscious enough to know what that implied, "No…"

She dived into the canel leaving Regina squeezing fistfuls of her shirt near her heart.

**###**

Tinkerbell knew as soon as Emma landed in the water that there was no way to defeat Attina if the savior wasn't a part of it. She dived into the glowing blue water. She saw her wavy blonde hair and impossibly frightened stare as she struggled with the seaweed wrapping around her ankles. She swam towards her grabbing her arms and Emma hit her until she looked at her. She mouthed "I'm sorry," which was a mistake because then…

She pointed to her throat. Tink nodded and took out a small knife cutting the seaweed at her feet. Then something wrapped around her ankle and her heart sky rocketed with panic, she felt Regina's heart in her bag. She must be feeling this, she has to be.

Tink realized she could feel Regina as well. The way her calm demeanor settled in.

_Oh no_.

She handed Emma the knife who didn't protest and she pulled Regina's heart out and squeezed begging her be defiant, begging the brunette to not listen to that goddess. She felt the sensation that Attina was coming after them, it must be Regina. Emma tapped her shoulder and pointed upwards, she nodded and put Regina's heart in her bag. They began to swim up until something crashed into Tinkerbell.

Even under water you can hear her voice scraping your brain.

"GIVE IT TO ME!" Attina's voice was sharp like glass and as stinging as an eel.

Tink's lungs felt like they were going to collapse but she fought with the mermaid pulling the witches heart between them.

**###**

Emma burst from the water gasping with limbs like jello she swam to the shore line, crawled and laid on her back taking in deep breathes.

"Emma?" Regina's voice never sounded so sweet to Emma than in this moment.

She sat up to be met with the brunette sitting up on the floor with watered eyes and her hand gripped her chest.

"What's wrong?" the blonde slowly made her way towards her.

Regina didn't answer but she did grab her hands.

"Regina?"

"Emma…I know I've been asking a lot out of you but I need you listen once more."

"You're starting to scare me…and I kissed you."

Regina smiled at that but she held her hands tighter, "They're fighting for my heart-"

She glanced towards the canel.

Her heart picked up at her words, "What?! Is that what Tink had? Your heart?"

Then as if an afterthought laced with jealousy, "wait…you gave _her_ your **heart**? _Regina_!"

Those brown eyes showed amusement then sudden panic as she let out a puff of air, seeming to struggle to breathe.

"Whoa," Emma let go of her hands and held her upright by her shoulders, "What's going on?"

Regina took a deep breathe, "Tink is struggling-"

"Then we have to help her," she made to get up but Regina held her down.

"No Emma, you can't defeat Krys-Attina in the water, she's a goddess. Ariel's sister, she was supposed to be in line for the throne."

Emma listened sneaking glances towards the water.

"And…and she was my best friend a long time ago."

The blonde frowned, "What about the bit concerning your heart?"

Regina sighed, "She wouldn't help unless she knew she could trust me."

"What did you do to her?"

"Emma this isn't the time for questions…I need you to listen to me…."

The savior looked conflicted, but she licked her lips then saw the way Regina looked. Slightly breathless with her hair clinging to her forehead and her bright eyes pleaded with her.

So she nodded, "Okay."

Regina smiled then kissed Emma gently, she closed her eyes feeling the brunette then move to the right side of her head. She rubbed the back of her palms with her thumbs and Emma didn't want this to end.

"Emma I need you," she whispered in her ear, "I need you to keep talking to me, I know it'll be hard but please just keep talking to me, I feel like I can come back if you just talk to me. Attina's going to come out of that pool with my heart, but she isn't the one that holds it now. Technically yes; metaphorically, no. Be the savior you told me about in the hut. The one that didn't just stay for just Henry. Do this for me because I may not have my heart right now but what I feel for you reaches beyond simple organs. Please Emma."

Emma buried herself into the crevice between Regina's neck and shoulder, she smelled the fabric of her black shirt, the lavender scent of her magic and especially the salty scent of the nearby pool, she whispered back, "Okay."

At that moment the goddess emerged from the canel with a glowing half red heart in her hands and yelled, "Get away from her!"

Emma hoped to everything in existence, but this goddess here, that Regina's right.

* * *

**Present**

Emma swiveled in her work chair sighing rather sadly thinking back to Washington.

They stayed until there were only a few patrons waiting for the later buses to far off places. Until the light dimmed and only the looming stayed asking for money. Then Kathryn called Henry asking if they found her. It must have been around that time that Emma realized…

No…they were close, but no.

She sighed thinking about the brunettes shoulder length hair and her brown eyes that shined like an ever glowing halo. She thought about her voice so small and frightened in Neverland, regretting every word she used on the boat ride home. She regretted every action she took once in Storybrooke. If she could, she'd take them all back. She closed her eyes and thought about the hut, how stuffy and dark it was, and how terribly wonderful it all was just to be besides the brunette. She remembered Attina's hold and Tinkerbell's love. Then she remembered everything she said afterword to Regina…she wondered how the brunette handled the two weeks after Neverland. She ran away. So not well. Emma breathed heavily, regretting so much and just-

"I'm guessing you found Regina." The voice emanated loudly from the silence.

She nearly fell back in her chair, "ack-" she righted herself, "who's there?"

Pan emerged from the doorway to the sheriff's station, dressed in regular clothes meant for a teenage boy; jeans and green shirt, although it was thrown off by his bare feet that were covered in dirt.

"By the look on your face and considering you nor your parents were pestering around to find me- you found our Madame Mayor." He smiled arms crossed, standing tall.

Emma got off her chair holstering her gun only to find her gun was in her little glass office. Which was parallel to Pan. His lips curled in satisfaction.

"I always make sure to arrive at the right time." He spoke.

Emma sighed, "Why are you here?"

"You won the game."

Emma frowned, "what?"

"I never go back on my word. You found our queen."

"_Oh_." Emma blinked in surprise, "right. That game. We won."

"_However_-"

"Oh common, we won and shouldn't that be enough?"

Pan tut-tutted, "savior. Or...it's just Emma now right?"

Emma sighed then glared back.

"You failed to bring her back."

The blonde pursed her lips looking down, "we didn't get to her in time."

She looked up to see Pan shaking his head, irritation swarmed in the pit of her stomach.

He raised his hands and clamped them together, light flicked from the windows, making his hair shine like gold and his eyes crinkled as his eyebrows rose in mock sympathy.

"Poor savior. Didn't you use to find people for a living?"

"Go away," Emma wanted so very much to at least punch him.

"Aren't you _tired_ of all this... searching? Of saving everyone from my creations?" His smile was widening.

Emma felt alarms ring around her ears like invisible clocks.

"What are you implying?" She asked.

"Let's make a deal."

Emma scoffed, "no. Why would I ever make a deal with you?"

"Because you lost Regina. You lost any chance of stopping my creations." He looked smug.

"We did not _lose_," she spoke in a mock British accent,"-her. She's not lost yet. I can still find her."

Then Pan actually laughed, "You didn't find her the last time! What are you going to do? Ask Kathryn again?"

Emma's eyes widen as realization dawned.

"I know and Pan always wins. You're never going to find Regina."

The phone besides her rang, shocking her. She took one second to look at the phone then back to Pan.

He was gone.

She answered the phone, "hello?"

"Emma!" Mary Margaret yelled and the blonde had to hold the phone away from her ear.

"Yeah?"

"Kathryn's missing and...And that huge giant spider is out."

**###**

"She has to be here somewhere," Henry said grimacing at the maps.

"Maybe," Peaches said, "she went towards Texas?"

"No, she would never go there."

"Why not?"

Henry shrugged.

Peaches touched his arm and he looked up into her bright green eyes. She was tanned and her eyes were, perhaps the most colorful thing on her.

"I brought you some lunch, I know it's the weekend from school but it shouldn't be a weekend from meals either."

Henry looked down at the burger and fries and the drink to the side, "I didn't-"

"I know," peaches said, "common, I'll take up where you left off."

Henry nodded, "thank you."

"Of course. Your mother is probably the nicest/a little intimidating person I've ever met. She got me this job and made sure I wasn't an illegal alien."

They switched spots and Henry looked up to his friend. She adapted well from being a mermaid on an island full of children to a young adult with a false high school diploma, and reverted to the teen culture. She had a piercing adorning her right eye. Her eyes, it reminded him of meadows he's seen in the forest, they roamed the map. Her face was scrunched in concentration.

"Henry?"

He jumped, "yeah?" He said through a mouthful of burger.

"I know I look great today but could you please pretend I look like garbage? I can't concentrate when you're staring," She glanced up with her eyes, never moving her head and Henry blushed.

"Sorry."

"It's fine."

Henry thought this must be how flies feel when they encounter a bright light.

At least until they get too close and there's a loud resounding-

_BOOM!_

The floor shook beneath them. Peaches and Henry sat up.

For a moment everything was quiet. Everyone stopped and the only thing that could be heard was the hum of the soda machine. People listened. Breathing slowed until it evened out to a silent whisper.

Then a giant green leg with a leaf hanging on the side smashed into the window. Everyone screamed and started to rush out the back.

Peaches grabbed Henry.

"Wait!" He ran to the table.

"Henry, let's go!" Peaches shouted.

The patrons of the dinner had exited.

"The maps!"

"Henry you can remake them!"

"No! These are what we've found out in Washington of her trail and-"

The leg came through the roof and the ceiling collapsed. The last thing Henry heard was Peaches screaming. The last thing he felt was pain before the blackness took over his entire being.

**###**

Mary Margaret ran through the streets evacuating everyone telling them to go there and there. She looked to fro for Kathryn, even went as far as to ask people if they'd seen her. All said no. Fredrick, her fiancé, told her the blonde went for a walk last night and when he woke up this morning she wasn't home. She was walking down Main Street when the spider broke the windows of Granny's causing mass panic. It's like it just appeared out of thin air.

"Did you find her?" David ran up beside her with his sword in hand.

She shook her head. They exchanged a worried look.

"You didn't exactly win yet!" His childlike voice held the gumption of severe authority and amusement.

They looked up to see Pan hovering in the air just alongside his spider with a smirk splashed across his visage and a small sword. He held his hand in front of him, then dropped a small object, it landed in the middle of the road twenty feet away then a vine began to grow out of the pavement. The ground rumpled, cars began to tip from the sheer force of the bean stock growing and growing and growing.

"David…"

"I know," he whispered.

Pan smiled as the bean stock suddenly reached above the clouds.

"You remember your dear ol' Grumpy?" he shouted.

Mary Margaret gasped.

"And your dear human tracker Kathryn?"

David gripped the handle of the sword tighter.

"Did you know the giants love puppet shows? Especially when they involve real people?"

"There are no more giants!" Mary Margaret shouted, "I should know! I've been to their world!"

Pan laughed, "Maybe in that world! Humans exist in every realm! Why not giants?!"

The couple looked to one another, "You're lying!"

The boy who never aged grinned, "Haven't you wondered where I've been? The giants here are much nicer to children. Since Regina hasn't returned, I figured a little fun is far overdue."

He threw the small sword in his hand into the bean stock seventy feet above ground as vines wrapped around it, "You're going to need that! It originated from Jack herself. Good luck."

He disappeared in green smoke and the large spider began to climb the bean stock.

Mary Margaret sighed as well as David.

**###**

Emma found herself looking up into the giant bean stock and helped to high hell that wasn't what she thought it was.

"Pan said the giants are holding Kathryn and Grumpy hostage up there." Her mother said.

Emma felt like shouting suddenly. Until…

"Grumpy's alive?" she asked.

Her parents nodded, "I think Pan needed the giants to trust him so he offered him."

"Then he probably found out Kathryn was our best bet at finding Regina again-"David began speaking.

"So he took her." Mary Margaret finished.

Emma sighed, "We have to go get them, don't we?"

"I think it's a tactic to delay us so we won't find Regina again." David said.

"Well Henry can find her while we-"Emma started then stopped while looking around suddenly aware her son isn't around, "Hey have you seen Henry? With everything I was sure he'd be here disobeying me again."

Snow looked too as did David, "I…maybe he finally listened."

"No…" Emma said, "He's too recalcitrant to do that."

**###**

_He watched his mother. The woman who raised him with a treacherous look cross her features. Her eyes seem to widen with delight and her thumbs pushed and pushed and __**pushed**__. She yelled at the very woman she was torturing._

_His vision was covered by his father. His sweet, loving father...he's protecting him right now._

_Although he could still hear her._

_The screams she made._

Henry awoke coughing and gasping for breath. He pulled at the collar of his shirt, trying to fit more and more air down his lungs.

Then he tried to roll over and pain took over like clouds covering the sun.

"Argh," he groaned.

He forced himself to turn, it was kind of dark. Something was loose above him, a rock of sorts. He pushed and pushed then it heaved off. He coughed as the dust snaked into his lungs again.

Then...he remembered.

_"Henry let's go!"_

Her voice echoed in his head.

His eyes widen and looked around, "PEACHES!?"

He stood up only to grunt in pain, he looked at his ankle puffy and bruised. He pushed his loose hair out of his eyes, "Peaches!"

Someone coughed near him and he limped past the crude jagged stones, "Peaches?!"

He nearly screamed in pain as he landed on his knees moving ceiling tile by ceiling tile, he was met with a light colored hand.

That wasn't Peaches.

He frowned but continued to move the debris away. Slowly an arm attached to the hand, then a white sleeve, then a face turned to the side with a red hair tie pulling her dark hair into a pony tail.

"Ruby…" Henry moved bits of glass away from her torso then found that a few larger pieces were stuck embedded in her.

He felt lightheaded, realizing the red splashed across her chest wasn't a part of her uniform. He touched her slightly, she groaned and he sighed in relief.

"Oh man, she looked bad."

Henry looked up into her green eyes and dark skin dirtied with dust and her hair stuck out in tuffs, he wanted to jump and hug her, but he merely smiled wide, "Peaches!"

"That's right, I'm going that easily," she knelt on the other side of Ruby, "do you think the other people made it out?"

Henry shrugged flickering his glances from Ruby to his friend, "you should go look while I-"

He stopped and Peaches narrowed her eyes, "and you'll get her out, right? Go find help maybe?"

He shifted and looked down at his ankle. Redder and more swollen than a few minutes ago, "I think it's broken."

"That definitely looks bad too," she looked down at Ruby, "well…I can try healing her, or you!"

"I distinctly remember the last time you used magic with me…"

"Hey I never practiced teleporting that much! BUT- in Neverland your mother taught me how to heal and-"

She stopped at the look of nostalgia upon her younger friends face, "Sorry."

"No it's fine. Go ahead, heal me and I'll do my best to get her out. We've wasted too much time already."

She nodded and reached over Ruby's body to quickly grip Henry's ankle, he flinched. A blue quality of a lighter hue wrapped around his ankle and suddenly it cracked, he hissed at that, then the swelling went down.

"There! Good as new," she smiled, "Now get her and get help, I'm going to search."

She jumped up and began shouting, "Hello! Anyone still here?"

Henry couldn't help his tiny heart beginning to pound ever so deeper, he shook himself and looked back to the bleeding waitress.

**###**

"Okay where was he last?" Emma asked.

Her parents bit their lips.

"Seriously? I ask you guys to watch him while I worked and he disappears!"

"Well Peaches came over and they said they were going to search for Regina." Snow said.

Emma scoffed, "and you just _let_ him?! God I'd still be who I am today if you raised me!"

"Okay, calm down," David said.

"Calm down?! My son is _missing_, _with_ a mermaid that he likes no less, and you're telling me to _calm down_?!"

"Whoa no one said he liked Peaches," Snow said, "he just…likes having a friend near his age."

"She's two hundred years old! And don't tell me it's just "_friendships_" I've had plenty of "_friendships_" where I look at my "_friends_" like they're the queen of fucking Xibalba!" Emma began to wave her hands at her sides looking frustrated.

"Okay, first of all, she has the mindset of a child and second- I don't think the Mayan's would be too happy for your references because in the text books it clearly states that twins-"Mary Margaret began.

"_I don't fucking care if it's twins or a goddamn queen!_ _**You**_** lost my son**!" Emma nearly shrieked as her mother gasped.

"There's a fucking bean stock in the _middle_ of the fucking road! Blue can only keep the tourist trapped in a dream-like state for so long," Emma began to ground her teeth, "and we need to rescue the blonde tracker and the dwarf and you managed to lose my-"

"Emma!" David shouted and she stopped but glared, begging him with her vengeful eyes to continue.

"We'll find him okay? I'm sure he's-"

"Help!" his voice sounded from Granny's.

"Henry?" Emma turned her head and gasped as she saw him dragging a very poor looking person covered in…is that _blood_?

_And dirt?_

_And oh god the fucking diner._

Emma suddenly wanted to kill her parents for letting him go out the door. She ran to him, "Henry!"

"Ruby needs help badly." He flopped down as she neared and her parents weren't too far behind.

She looked at her waitress friend, "David call Whale and have him round a crew for this part of the city."

She softly grazed the shards of glass in her friend, "Tell him to hurry."

**###**

That night the blue fairy, the dwarves (they heard about Grumpy still being alive, they even brought their axes), Granny (she's there for Ruby whom was forced to rest in the hospital accompanied by Belle), Rumple (he just wanted to find Kathryn so she can find Regina. He thinks it'll lead him to his adolescent father), Fredrick (he wants to save his fiancé), Peaches and Henry (much to Emma's dismay), and the Charming's as well as the savior stood at the base of the bean stock.

"Okay," Blue said, "The outsiders will continue to be under their sleeping enchantment-"

"Is that what you fairies call it?" Rumple commented.

"Shut your mouth," Granny said making her bow noticeable with one shift, "This will be easier if none of you talked and we hurry this up before those tourist wake up and alert the outside world."

He merely raised his eye in her direction.

"As I was saying," Blue began again, "the enchantment will only hold for another twenty-four hours, but I'm sure those people have family outside this town. So I'm going to give you all twelve hours tops before Rumple and I dissolve this bean stock."

Henry squeezed his sword at his hip.

"Despite what we want, this town must be protected at all cost. Understood?"

Everyone nodded rather begrudgingly. Henry didn't like this.

"What happens if we're still up there?" Emma said with a stoic face and calm demeanor, although her hand slightly shook as she was holding the lining to her pocket.

"Then you'll have to find another way down."

"Can't we teleport?" Mary Margaret said.

"The giant's world in the Enchanted Forest is said to disrupt magical beings." Rumple said and Emma frowned.

"We're not sure if that rule works in this world too…" Blue began again, "But we have to assume. There's temporal shifts in clouds and we're, me and the dark one," she glanced to Mr. Gold, "think that if you do become trapped there you'll have to use a specific spot up there where the magic can flow freely into you then teleport."

"But seeing as it's a giants land, it'll probably take days to find the shifting point," Gold said gripping his cane.

"I'm allowing you all to dip into the supply of fairy dust," the fairy said, "but they must be used to save Kathryn and Grumpy. By our guesses and assumptions, the giants have their own magic up there as well. They have to be used as a key to get them out."

They all nodded.

"Quickly you must go now, I have to go back to attend to the wounded." She bowed her head then looked to everyone, "Good luck."

Henry felt like vomiting but then Peaches hand grabbed his. He looked to her green-blue eyes. They say every mermaid's eyes reflect the ocean. Henry wondered if it was possible to drown in them.

"Henry," Emma's voice interrupted him and Peaches let him go then stepped away giving mother and son some room.

He watched her walk across the way to his grandparents then he turned to his mother with her hands in her pocket looking slightly angry with her gaze towards his friend and slightly…shy.

"Listen, I don't want you getting hurt."

His heart fell and his irritation rose.

"And I'm sure your mother wouldn't like me-"

"I want to help save Kathryn and Grumpy too," Henry stated.

"Well…I think you should stay here and continue to look for Regina."

"We need Kathryn for that."

"Kathryn's points on where Regina is hasn't been…on point! First she says she's in Richmond then the next day she's Savannah. It just doesn't seem accurate!"

"Because she's traveling, she's moving! If we can just pinpoint her next move then maybe we can stop her at the next bus stop, but we need-"

"NO!" Emma shouted startling Henry, "you stay! You can't go! End of discussion!"

"You can't do that!" He shouted back with a rising fire in his eyes that matches his brunettes mothers.

"Yes I can," Emma said firmly, "and I have. You're. Not. Going."

"The Blue fairy said that they're nicer to children, I could act as a sort of decoy and-"

Emma waved her hand and Henry disappeared in a white cloud.

"-help with…" he trailed off as he recognize his surroundings.

He was back at the apartment.

He growled. When he gets back he's going to-

Back on Main Street Emma Swan closed her eyes focusing her magic while waving her hand.

Henry gripped the door handle ready to run as fast as he can back to the bean stock but-

He jiggled the handle. Then he kicked the door sending a ripple through the wood as if it were liquid.

_Magic_, he thought.

Suddenly he was glad he grew up without Regina having any magic. She would probably do the same thing to him.

**###**

"Hey where's Henry?" Mary Margaret asked Emma.

"He glumly stocked back home." She replied grabbing the climbing gear.

"Just like that?" David said.

"Mhmm!" Emma replied strapping herself in, "so the plan is that Gold's going to poof us as close as we can get up the bean stock and we climb the rest of the way?"

"Yep," David helped his wife into a safety harness.

"Well that's good," her mother said, "a bit out of character for him…" she narrowed her eyes towards her daughter whom shrugged.

"I thought so too. I think we finally reached stable ground again since Washington."

Before Mary Margaret had another chance to speak, the dark one whistled loudly and everyone looked in his direction.

"Everyone ready?"

"I don't seem to know if I put this on the right way," Dopey replied raising his hand, "It feels itchy in all the wrong places!"

"That's because you put it on the wrong way you bulbous idiot!" Doc shouted shaking his head at him.

Rumple snapped his fingers and the harness was turned around, "anymore?"

Everyone shook their heads and a collection of, "nope." And, "I'm good." Could be heard.

"Great," he smirked, "Then we're off!"

**###**

Henry stood in a mess of shattered glass and torn pillows with books scattered around him. He sat stewing in the middle of the mess.

He mumbled to himself, mimicking his mother's voice in a high pitched sound while shaking his head, "look at me, I'm Emma Swan the savior, _oh_ my curls are so powerful I defeat large spiders and pine after queens!"

He scoffed and brushed his growing hair out of his eyes then mocked again, "I poof my son away!"

Grumbling, he added, "Must be nice to have super powers."

He laid down on a torn pillow and screamed, "STUPID MS. SWAN!"

He mimicked his other mother now, "GO AWAY MS. SWAN! YOU'LL NEVER GET MY SON MS. SWAN!"

He giggled remembering Regina.

"Nice impersonations, bit rusty but I think you'll get there."

Henry jumped up at his voice.

Pan stood on the counter in the middle of the kitchen, "Nice place you have here, messy but that's fine. I prefer messy. Makes things more interesting with character."

Henry fully stood and grabbed a piece of a broke cup.

Pan laughed, "What are you gonna do? Stab me? The powerful Peter Pan?!"

He threw back his head laughing even harder while Henry blushed lowering the broken glass, "What are you doing here?"

He giggled to himself as he picked up an apple, "Ironic you lot still keep these fruits after everything you've been through."

He bit into it making that crunch noise.

Henry did his best to use his brunette mother's mayoral glare, "Get out."

Pan swallowed his bite of the apple, "Why would I do that?" He threw the apple towards Henry, the younger boy ducked.

With that temporary distraction Pan appeared in front of him causing Henry to stumble backwards.

"Poor Henry Mills," he smirked pushing Henry onto his back and stepped on his chest.

Henry grunted and tried grabbing his foot but Pan waved his wrists, the torn pillows snaked towards him and pulled his hands away bounding them to the floor.

"Now, now, be a good little grandson and listen to your dear ol' grandpapi."

He smirked as Henry glared, his feet dug into Henry's chest, "Now, thanks to your bitch mother-"

Henry spat at him.

Pan kicked his sides causing the boy to grunt and cry out, "I said-"

His foot landed on his grandsons throat as he bent down, "be a good boy."

Henry ground his jaw while holding his determined glare.

Pan began to speak once more, "as I was saying…your bitch of a mother cast an everlasting enchanted on your heart and body."

He knelt his knee onto Henry's chest then grabbed a fistful of hair, "so stealing your heart is out of the question."

Henry grunted and squeezed his eyes shut.

"But I think you could still be useful to me," he let go of his hair causing the younger boy's head to thud back onto the wooden floors with a slight whimper, "let's make a deal."

Henry began to feel extreme pain from where Peter's knee buried into his chest, constricting his breathing, "why would I ever make a deal with you?"

"Because it seems in your family's haste they forgot about my dagger."

"What dagger?" he grunted out feeling the extreme need to cry but held it back.

"The dagger that will open the cage for Kathryn and that stupid little lawn gnome. I can poof you to exactly where it is, all you have to do is grab it and it will teleport you automatically to the entrance of the giant's castle in the sky."

Henry frowned, "They're going to use the fairy dust."

"Or you can show up with the dagger and use that dust to get out of there faster."

Henry moved beneath him, "and what's in it for you?"

He smirked and lifted his knee off of Henry whom sighed from relief, "take this satchel," he threw a dark green bag at his chest, "it'll fit two objects of any shape and size. Just steal a golden egg…and…the magical harp."

"Forget it, I'm never making any deals with you."

"Yes you will."

The younger boy narrowed his eyes, "What makes you so sure?"

"Because they'll never get them out in time and when that bean stock disappears, it won't just be hunting season for the giants, I'll be watching every step."

"They'll make it out."

"Not if I'm interfering," he smirked.

"If you can come and go as you please up there, can't you steal it yourself?"

His face grew darker.

"Why can't you?" Henry asked.

"The giant's magic up there only allows those with golden hearts to touch their most prized possessions."

Henry smiled while Pan glowered.

"If I do…get these things for you…how can I be sure you're not going to interfere as soon as I get those objects?"

"Because I'm one of the few who actually keeps his word."

Henry frowned, "What are you going to do with them?"

"That is my business." He shrugged.

"Then I won't do it if it involves any more endangerment to the town."

Pan sighed, "you know the more we talk the more time you lose?'

Henry looked away.

Pan waved his hand and the bonds disappeared, "let me make this easier for you; if you don't take this deal you'll never see your family again. Then you'll be stuck mimicking both your mothers' voices and your charming grandparents for comfort. After all, it will be your fault."

Henry sat up rubbing his wrists then looked at the satchel, "I believe they can make it back without my help."

"I can crush those beliefs now by warning the giants, right now."

Henry looked up seeing Pan's face covered by shadows with a determined look. He thought about it. He didn't want to lose Emma. Nor his grandparents. He thought about his friend with the eyes like an ocean. Then about the six more dwarves desperate to find their seventh brother. He thought about Kathryn and her fiancé probably climbing with determination, and then….he thought about Ruby. How she probably expects her grandmother to be back at any moment. He frowned at even thinking about Gold. He may be one of the few that can stop the adolescent in front of him.

He looked up to Pan as he stood up, wrapping the dark green bag around his shoulders, "fine, but I want you to promise you will not interfere with saving Kathryn and Grumpy at all, and that the giants gets no sign that we're coming."

Pan smiled, "You have my word as a lost boy Henry Mills."

He held his hand out. Henry felt each heartbeat resonate throughout his chest as he grabbed Pan's hand.

Green enveloped his vision then suddenly the wind picked up, the dim lighting in the living room was replaced with the moons glow and he found himself screaming as he grabbed onto the vines of the bean stock.

He looked down seeing Storybrooke's glow. He saw the apartment he was just at. His eyes drifted to the shores. The water reflected the full moon and danced to and fro in the beaches, pulling back then forward. For a moment he took in the fact that his mom created this magical town. He looked up past the grey clouds and he smelled the salty sea water and a scent probably of his hometown. A glint of gold caught his eye and he looked in front of him. There, entangled in vines and leaves, was the dagger.

He thought about what Pan said, that the dagger will teleport him.

He reached past the green, grabbed the hilt and felt the sensation of something pulling at his stomach.

The air changed, the wind stopped and he could no longer smell the air of Storybrooke nor the sea. There in front of him stood a large wooden door with brass hinges and a brass handle with embroidered decorations in the front spelling, "welcome"

Henry looked at the dagger in his hands, he stuffed it into the satchel, and began to look for an opening the size of a mouse. He slipped through effortlessly stepping into the giants home.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN : SO. . .Hello again. Hello there, how are you all? My adventure was-well. . .the short version is this- I talked and was talked to by A LOT of people, also I was yelled at as much as I was talked to, there was a tremendous amount of running (like holy cheese cake there was so much running), I honestly grew stronger in body, mind, and soul, broke my hip (yeah that sucked), fell in love (somehow that was more painful than having a fractured hip), lost that love, and was tested beyond my limitations. In other words I endured Marine Corps bootcamp for four months. I didn't make it to be a marine due to fracturing my hip halfway through training. But I'm back.**

**It's odd that I went on this incredible journey yet...hardly anyone understands. I missed writing and this story. I decided to only do Regina's POV then the past because the Present will be really long so that'll be a chapter all of its own. Thank you all for whomever reads this AN, I love you!**

**By the way I listened to Audiomachine, the Tree of Life album while writing this.**

**DISCLAIMER : see chapter one**

* * *

_Dear Henry,_

_It's been awhile. A couple months to be exact._

_Where do I start?_

_Well, Lily and I are in Arizona. In Flagstaff to be specific. The woods kind of remind me of Storybrooke without the sea air. It has a fresh green hue that wraps itself around your nostrils. We went hiking a few hours ago and Lily seemed to find it interesting to climb a rock then fall. Let's just be glad I was at the bottom providing a soft landing. Although due to my heroism, here I lay, in a hospital bed. Waiting. For a stupid x-ray, looking at my stupid swollen ankle._

_Why are human bodies so fragile?_

"Regina I-"Lily began, fidgeting in her seat with dirt smeared across her cheek.

The brunette woman did her best not to visibly sigh or roll her eyes, "Lily?"

"Yes?" the said woman nearly toppled in her chair as she leaned further towards Regina.

"Let me write." The ex-mayor smiled with the bane to kill a snake.

Lily lowered her head, "I-Uh, I just want to say again how sor-"

"Lily do you hear that?" Regina interrupted.

The sandy haired woman's face scrunched, "what?"

"That, my dear friend, is silence. It has been shared throughout centuries by great poets and scientist. If you want to express your sincere apologies then I suggest you grant me that century gift of utter…_silence_."

Lily bit the insides of her cheeks and nodded.

Regina went back to writing.

_The very existence of Lily is really just hanging on the fact that she's my friend. It would be the perfect crime. A simple oops, she fell down the mountain by herself. She was always rather clumsy._

She looked up and saw Lily sitting cross-legged, now biting her bottom lip while picking her nails looking terribly small and oneiric with her hair now freed from her hair tie. Her sandy colored hair now cascaded down like hills roaming the desert, longer than when she first met her. The sun filtered through the curtains creating lines adorning her legs, fully exposed by her shorts.

_Or maybe I can keep her. She reminds me of that one dog you wanted to keep once._

***snap***

Lily jumped, "did you just take a picture of me?"

Regina smiled, "a moment in time. The life and times of Lily Ritger being silent."

"Ha-ha," Lily mocked, "I gave you the gift that's been granted for centuries."

The brunette smiled and carefully place it in the corner of her page then closed the journal.

"Did you finish your entry?"

Regina shook her head, "not quite. I think I'll finish it when we return to our hotel room."

"Okay," Lily ran her fingers through her hair and pulled it all to one side and now her hair hung over one shoulder, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Is that one?" Regina smiled as her friends face glared back with an 'are-you-kidding-me?' look, "I'm kidding. Go ahead."

Her friend shifted in her seat, "um, do-well-I just haven't-"

Regina squeezed the journal praying to Henry for strength or rather patience.

"Why haven't you been writing in there lately?"

_Oh_, she wasn't expecting that.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean-when we first met all you would do is write in there as soon as we arrived back to our room or before we went out. This is the first time I've seen it in…well…to be honest I think it's been months."

Regina raised her eyebrows as she looked down at her journal, so dark in its violet color it almost looks blue, "I don't know."

"Of course you do. I've known you long enough Regina Mills to know that you know absolutely everything."

She smiled at that, "I don't."

"Yes you do, I still have not heard the last of when we missed the bus to Savannah."

"Because that was your own fault and-"

"That's not the point, the point is that…I just want to know why you're avoiding writing to him. What's been so important these last few months?"

Regina started at the embroidery adorning the edges of the journal, especially made into reality by her own magic. It's the last magical object that exists in her world. She poured her love and light into this very object, paper from the office, cover from fragments of Henry's books and Kathryn's coat, and one strand of a certain blondes hair.

"He started school." She pretended to dust off imaginary dust at the spine of the journal.

Lily opened her mouth to say something but then the door creaked open and in walked a tall man with a loose tie, "Well-" he began, "it's not broken."

###

Regina sat in the middle of the bed drying her hair. Her ankle was wrapped and her crutches stood off in a corner to be forgotten. She thought back to her Storybrooke days, she does this now, categorize her life in sections. There's the before and after Krystina, her evil queen days, the failed victory, then Henry, the Storybrooke days. Her and his Storybrooke days are so carefully woven into her hippocampus with each intricate moment that was never caught on camera. She remembers how he was so happy to attend his first day of school. She frowned as she realized throughout the years he slowly receded into his own world begging to stay at home. He once enjoyed learning until he found out that no one wanted to befriend him.

_It's all her fault isn't it?_ She thought.

_Thump._

Regina's body jumped slightly as her purple journal appeared before her, she looked up into the light brown eyes of Lily. Her damp hair was loosely tied into a pony tail.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked.

"I didn't read it if that's what you're thinking, I do have some sets of morality." She looked at the journal, "tell him I said hello and good luck. But I bet he doesn't need it since you raised him and you're like a female Einstein."

Her friend smiled then pulled on a jacket, "I heard the Grand Canyon Café has nice burgers and bomb-ass egg rolls so I'm going to get us some, okay?"

The door to their hotel closed and Regina looked at the journal, she reached across the bed to the night stand to where her birthday necklace lay waiting. Carefully she twisted it to and fro between her fingertips. She never goes anywhere without it now. With mostly muscle memory she put on the necklace without quite meaning to do so then she picked up her journal.

_You know it's odd how a small trinket can mean a lot to you. You with your book. Emma with her stupid red jacket. Kathryn with her coat that she survived in._

_Me and my journal and a necklace._

_Lily doesn't have a small trinket, I think she just enjoys every small good gesture. She revels in the small things, like seeing the sunset across the valleys and the sky painting the hillsides in shades of green and blue. Speaking of Lily, she says hi by the way. She also thinks you're going to do great in school this year, and I don't doubt it._

_She's not that bad you know. Maybe a little irritable at times._

_Anyway, let me tell you what has happened lately._

Regina leaned back just then into the headboard of the bed. She told Henry about leaving Yellowstone Park, going into Utah and how the land changed from rock and dirt to the blooming green of Flagstaff. She talked about the Grand Canyon and how she and Lily went there five days in a row because fog covered the beautiful landscape. She wrote about the museum in Tuba City, how small it was and how it told of the Navajo culture. She even talked about the Navajo code talkers and how angry Lily became about how little was written about them in history books.

She talked about Flagstaff then. The way the city is like colors of green and gray. How it smells when it rains in the forest. There was an art show she even mentioned that Lily wanted to see so badly. The Coconino fair and how there were students from a high school with a ROTC program parking the cars maintaining order. Lily bought the students pizza. They were really happy about it.

There was so much to mention. Like the woman who tried to pick a fight with her because she didn't believe Regina in telling her that her son was cursing at Lily. She wrote about everything then…she sighed.

_This may not mean much now because you've been there for a while now but-_

_Good luck in school my little prince._

_-love mom_

She heard the door open and soon the air became infested with a wondrous scent.

"You certainly took your time." Regina sat there, her hair was dry and her hand hurt.

"Well I decided to take the long way, I walked and then I took a cab home." She smiled, "so our food wouldn't get cold."

She flippantly flung her shoes off and tossed her jacket onto the desk. Then she flopped onto Regina's bed.

"Shoes," Regina merely commented.

"Right," Lily got back up and grabbed her shoes and threw them to a corner.

"One day you're going to trip over them if I don't keep reminding you to keep it somewhere out of our walking path."

"Whatever you say, Regina." Lily sighed.

Lily placed a plastic bag in the middle of the bed. Inside contained two to-go boxes. Regina frowned.

"You didn't eat over there?"

Lily shook her head, "nope, I wanted to sit and eat and talk with you."

"You shouldn't talk with your mouth full." Regina began to take the to-go boxes out, "which ones mine?"

"Doesn't matter, I bought identical ones, oh!" she jumped up and grabbed the other bag, "I also brought you tea."

She handed it to the other woman whom raised her brows, "you're being awfully nice."

Lily scoffed, "I'm always nice, you're just noticing it now because I fell for- I mean," her companions' eyes grew"- _on_. I fell _on_ you." She cleared her throat and Regina's head tilted slightly in wonder.

"Right," the brunette said, "I told him you said hi."

She decided not to look to not come face-to-face with a smirking Lily.

She took out an over-sized egg-roll, "it's like they're on steroids, are you sure you've heard rumors about them?"

Lily nodded and handed her sauce, "you know I'm surprised you're actually eating in bed."

"I'd rather not walk unless it's to the bathroom or when I switch beds with you tonight while you sleep in this one because of crumbs."

"Wha-but-!"

Regina merely glanced to her ankle.

"Fine."

The older woman happily bit into her egg-roll hoping her victory will cover her surprised visage on the fact that these egg-rolls are definitely delicious. But she wasn't going to admit it to the other woman.

"We've been here for a while," Lily said.

"We have," Regina responded.

"I like it here."

"So do I," Regina did her best to pay no mind to her.

"It's getting colder you know. It's already September."

"I'm well aware of the months Lily."

"You like it here, I can tell."

Regina looked up to her friends eyes. Always so calming and full of understanding now. The fire in her eyes ebbed away with the months she stayed with her.

"What are you implying Lily?"

It was true, she thought. She didn't quite want to admit it but deep down she felt it. She liked it here. The way the town was small but not, how it held old and new. Some parts reminded her of Storybrooke and she didn't know why. They've been here a while and that's very dangerous, they should've moved on weeks ago.

"I met this girl while walking. She's moving back to her hometown in Oregon. I'm not saying we should-or well-I'm kind of suggesting-if maybe you want-or if you're tired of hotel rooms and-"

"We can't stay here Lily." Regina said it firmly with conviction as she put her eggroll down.

Lily looked at her with disbelieving eyes, "but-"

"No. We can't."

"What are you so afraid of?!"

"Lily, it's not that I'm afraid, I just don't-"

"You like it here, I know you do-"Lily interrupted her.

"Yes, it's very nice here and-"

"There, you admitted to it so why can't you stay? I know you didn't like Washington, or Salt Lake City, or any other city we've passed but this- right here. This town you love. I've never seen you this happy since we left D.C."

"Lily-"Regina's voice was a warning.

"But I can see it." The fire flared back to her brown eyes, and Regina found she didn't want to look away, "Whether you want to admit it or not, you like it here. There's a certain softness you've had since we landed here by a misdirection from your map. You like how the landscape changes when we go to Sedona or the Grand Canyon. I know you like being-"

"Stop," Regina said, glazing at her.

"-here. And I like it too. The people aren't too bad and I like seeing the stars-"

"Stop-"

"It's a really good deal on the apartment Regina, and we can-"

"_Stop_!" Regina slammed the sides of the bed and the sheer force knocked over her food.

The air became thin. She didn't want to hear her anymore. Her heart beat slowly in her chest and she simply breathed as she stared into Lily's surprised look.

Lily blinked, then she jumped up and began to put on her shoes, "you're cleaning that up," she commented over her shoulder.

Regina sighed, "Lily stop."

She continued to put on her shoes.

"Lily, I know it's hard to understand but-"

She grabbed her jacket, "it's actually not. You're just afraid to be happy, like always and…I need a little space right now. I'm tired of being ridiculed and shot down by you, can't you just let me finish a sentence every now and then?"

The door slammed and Regina sighed looking at her mess. She got up and began hopping around.

###

She stared at the ceiling wondering where the cluster of stars that makes up Cassiopeia is.

"_Sunshine." Her voice was like the soothing embers of a fire._

It's been a while since Regina thought about her, she closed her eyes.

"_Get away from me," Regina shouted as tears obscured her vision._

"_Oh you can't get rid of me, you know that." Her friends' hands grabbed her wrists, "Common now."_

"_Let go of me." With a feeble attempt she moved her arms side to side._

_Krystina smiled, "Hush dearie."_

_Regina felt her energy being sucked out as her knees buckled and Krystina's hands moved to her waist, "you lied to me," the younger woman whispered._

"_No! Well-just a small misunderstanding." She smiled, "but didn't you miss me? You were always so happy when I came back, what's different now?"_

_Regina's body felt so weak, it must be magic. Her body was flush against Krystina's._

"_Besides, we wouldn't be together if I didn't do what I had to. Come on sunshine, let's run away together. I'll even allow you to take Daniel. You and I can be queens in a land far, far away from here. They'll be new stars to see, new games, and-"_

"_Get away from her!" Daniel's voice rang sharp through the barn._

_Regina looked over and there stood the stable boy, a young teen, with a long wooden stick as a make-shift sword, "Daniel."_

_She said his voice softly, sweetly, and with such reverence that her friend growled low in her throat._

"_On second thought, he'll be the first to burn." She let Regina go and the princess landed at her feet._

"_Regina!" Daniel shouted then charged towards them as fast as he could._

_But with a mere wave of her hand Daniel soared through the air and landed with a loud thump on the wooden floor of the stables._

"_Daniel!" Regina cried out as her lover groaned and turned to his side._

"_You have been a thorn in my side since I met you," Krystina began to stalk nearer to him leaving the princess on the floor, "always there, always-"_

"_Always what?"_

_Her voice sent waves of mixed emotions through Regina. The red head stopped._

"_I seem to remember that our cook, Irene was supposed to make chicken stew today. Imagine my distress when I found that dinner wasn't prepared yet."_

"_Cora." Krystina practically spat it out._

_The older witch looked to her daughter then to Daniel, "I see you let your secret out Attina."_

"_Well, Irene was becoming a bore," the goddess put her hands on her hips, "she wanted to marry that insipid gardener. And I was going to attend, until she saw me doing magic. Then sadly she couldn't make the stew anymore due to her body having no more fluids in it. And unfortunately my darling Regina saw."_

_She looked down at her friend._

_Regina whimpered._

_Cora raised a brow, "see darling?" she was talking to her daughter, "I told you not to trust your friends."_

"_Mother," it came out as a plea._

"_Hush now, mother will make everything better."_

Regina opened her eyes at the sound of the door opening. Her eyes found the bright red numbers of the clock.

**3:15 am**

She frowned then sat up to turn on the light, "Lily where-"

"Regina!" her friend shouted with a smile as she held her hands in the air, "you're up! Good! Or wait no-bad. Bad, bad, bad."

She giggled.

"Oh god you're drunk aren't you?"

"Maybe just a little," she tried taking off her shoes but couldn't quite do it without tipping to the side.

"It's a wonder how you got home."

"WELL-"Lily started, "first off- Regina Mills, you are the most bitchest person I've ever met-"

Regina glared where she sat.

"Like the most ginormous, huge, bitchest bitch of the bitches from a town called bitchville-"

"I think I get the point," the older woman replied.

"Good because I don't-" she hiccuped, "think I had enough time to keep saying that and-" a burp, "change so I can meet-"

She took off her shoe, "AH-HAH! Gotcha you little-"

"As amusing as it is to watch you-"

_Wait_.

"Meet?"

Lily took off her other shoe, "Oh you caught did you now?"

"Lily why you changing?" Regina sat up a little straighter.

"Well, in the midst of my sudden avail of alcoholic consumption, a white knight named Alex came about and well…this white knight has a master's degree in political science."

The brunette felt something low in her stomach. Something akin to an emotion she couldn't quite place.

She landed on the bed trying to take off her pants, "whoops!"

She giggled and Regina swung herself to the edge of the bed, "you don't even enjoy the morning paper, what makes you think political science guy is good for you?"

"It's not like we're going to talk anyway so who cares?" Lily began to rummage through her suitcase on the floor.

"I do, so-"

Lily snorted, "you're like a human chastity belt you know that?"

Her mouth nearly dropped at that, "wha-n-I AM NOT. Go have sex with a strange man for all I care!"

"I was going to do just that whether you cared or not but now that I have your consent-"

She hiccuped.

"By the way have you seen my black dress?"

Regina stood and ignored whatever pain snaked through her ankle and walked to the closet to pull out a hanger holding a short dark strapless dress.

"Here," she threw it at her.

"Perfect!" Lily tried stumbling to the bathroom but Regina stepped in her way with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh you want to play that game, fine." Lily merely huffed as she took a careful step back then shimmied the rest of the way out of her jeans.

"Don't forget to use protection, god knows how long I spend time around you. I don't want to get some rare disease."

"You know you're the most-"she pulled off her shirt, "irritating woman I've ever met?"

The woman lifted her chin in defense, doing her best not to-

Lily unhooked her bra then let it fall to the ground. Regina thought maybe she had enough will power to force her cheeks to stay normal.

"By the way," Lily wiggled into her dress very clumsily and Regina began to hop away back to bed, because whatever else she has to say, it doesn't matter.

"Alex can be a girl's name too." Lily finished and Regina stopped just to turn herself towards the other woman in surprise.

"Knew that would stop you," she straightened out her breasts in the dress, "don't worry Ms. Bitchy purple, you're not my type."

"I don't-"Regina was too focused on her to not see the shoes in front of her, her bruised ankle stepped on it as her foot bent from the odd angle.

A rather un-lady like shriek flew out her lips as she hit the floor.

"Oh my god Regina!?"

Regina groaned as sharp spikes not only wrapped itself around her ankle but her head now, "how many times do I have to tell you to put your stupid shoes-"

"I'm so sorry I didn't-"Lily knelt down beside her wafting her scent of beer and peanuts, her hands touched her then came back off, then she hovered them about not quite sure what to do.

"Help me back to bed," Regina said through clenched jaws seeing the distress and confusion on whether to touch her or not on her friends face.

Lily nodded as she pulled her friend off the floor and sat her on the bed, "are you okay?"

Her friend gazed at her once more, feeling the intensive need to just chop this woman's head off, "no."

"Here let me-"

Regina inched away, "go."

"But-"

"_Go_."

Lily pouted then stood up, "fine."

Regina closed her eyes and waited for the door to open. It never did. She looked up. Lily had sat in the chair. Her dress rode up her upper right thigh revealing more skin than usual.

"Lily your date-"

"Screw my date."

"I thought that's what you planned to do anyway."

Lily closed her eyes and yawned, "You're hurt."

"I thought I was too bitchy to be cared for."

Lily stood up with another wide yawn as she made her way over to Regina, "you may be a lot of things Regina, and I may be a lot of things. But a deserter for a friend is not one of them." She laid down, "no matter how horny I am, you're still…still…you took me with you and it's only fair I don't run off." Her speech began to slur ever so quietly.

"Lily you can't-"

Her friend started to softly snore immediately,

_Sleep here._

The words died on her tongue.

Regina limped to the other bed to pull the sheets off, she then limped back and sat on the bed covering both her and Lily.

"I'll be damned if I go back on my word about sleeping on the other bed, there's still crumbs on there." She whispered to the other woman.

Then she closed her eyes listening to Lily's soft snoring.

_Dear Henry,_

_Have you ever met someone and you just…forgot?_

_Like you forgot all thoughts and how to even function. You forget the surroundings around you and you even forget the human existence._

_For a moment, oh for a lovely, lovely moment it's just this person and you and you sort of just stumble along in your brain until you hold out your hand to say, "Hello."_

_But it sounds weird._

_Like "hello" isn't quite the word._

_Like you should be saying, "I've been waiting for you all my life."_

_Except for the fact that it wasn't a handshake. It was a fall. I fell for my first lover before I even met him, isn't that funny?_

_Well, before you start wondering, that's what happened with Daniel. It's about that time. The eve of his death._

_-love mom_

"Are you seriously never letting that go now? I told you I was sorry!" Lily groaned as she sat on the bench in the park next to Regina.

"Well let's go over the list once more. **One**\- you fell on my ankle."

Lily groaned even louder with a whispered, "Regina…"

"**Two**\- you left me in the hotel room and let's not forget **three**-"

"Regina-"Lily replied.

"Stumbling in drunk to get ready for a night cap-"

"That never happened! I never took the night cap _because_-" Lily shouted, "As you can recall, I passed out on the bed!"

"Yeah, **my** bed! Right after you crowned me queen-bitch and failed to neglect your shoes causing me to fall, _again_." Regina turned away sipping her coffee.

Lily sighed, "That was _two_ weeks ago. I've been apologizing for _two_ weeks straight."

"And you're still not getting any money, you're going to eat what I buy you and what drink I give you." Regina glanced at her friends Styrofoam cup.

"Oh common, this isn't even real coffee. It's….vegan." The ex-waitress made a face at the cup as if it were the unanimated objects fault.

"What's wrong with vegan coffee?" the other woman raised her brows as she sipped her own brew of normal coffee, "and it isn't vegan. It's just…plain."

"It's vegan if there's no sugar or creamer." She glared.

"So it's a true brew!" Regina smiled a smile quite like the one she harbored for many years as a mayor of a town so far from her mind at the moment.

"Regina, I. am. Extremely. Sorry."

"And I'll believe you in maybe another two weeks, when I trust you with maybe a couple dollars."

Lily breathed heavily through her nose, "fine."

She glumly sipped her coffee.

"Still think Arizona is the place to stay?" Regina mocked staring ahead as people walked by.

"Well its better than nothing." Lily contorted her features into one of distaste as she sipped more, even made an advance to make a small noise in the back of her throat.

"Tell you what-"Regina began as she watched her friend face her.

"Right now we're in Phoenix enjoying a blissful day-"

"Mhmm," Lily hummed.

"Let's stay until October."

She saw in the corner of her eyes of her friend's expression.

"Why?"

"I didn't want to stay permanently because of fear. I just-"she gripped the cup and felt the warmth emanate further into her skin, "I haven't completed my list yet."

It wasn't a complete lie. She hasn't completed the list, Emma and Henry could be looking for her but she highly doubts it.

She looked to her side to see Lily's calculated look. She's learned to hate it because usually it means=-

"You have a list?"

Questions. It means more and more questions.

Regina nodded.

"What's left on your list?" she asked.

"That's none of your business, all you need to know is that-"Regina began before-

"But it is, isn't it? It is my business because I'm with you now. It's not just you living off this list, it's me too."

Regina closed her eyes breathing in the scent of brewed ground beans mixed with vanilla creamer and a spoonful of sugar. She listened to the even breathing of her friend besides her. The cars zoomed in the distance and she could hear birds singing as well as children laughing and she could feel the sun lay kisses on her skin as she sat there in a simple grey dress. She wanted to get away from Flagstaff, it was getting cold. But here, it's warm. Lily was waiting for an answer, she could feel it. Even within the stitches of her friends jeans, her loose white shirt, and she could feel the concentrated look she was giving her right now. She was waiting.

"I don't know." Regina finally said.

"What do you mean you don't know? Shouldn't you? I mean you're the one that apparently has a list!"

"I do but-"

"But what Regina? Please just…just tell me."

"Because I don't want to look at it, because we're completing the list in a completely random order and…and I just don't want to look at it. All I know is that it's not complete yet."

Lily sighed.

They sat for a few moments more before Lily asked another question, "well, what's so important about this list that you feel the need to complete it? And what's so…why don't you want to look at it?"

The brunette tapped the cup, "my son made it."

It's an odd thing. How easy it gets to talk to her.

"We compiled a list, it's kind of silly but, when he turned eight he found out about maps in school. When he came home he was so excited he shouted, 'mom, mom!' and I asked why he was so…fanatic. He told me that he always thought our hometown was the whole world, that the places in his books were just that, places. He said he always felt somehow isolated until that day when his teacher showed his class maps. You should've seen his face!"

She took a breath, not daring to look in the other woman's direction.

"I told him that he is never isolated. He was devastated that the world in his books would stay just places in his books. I realized he was afraid of never leaving. That in turn scared me because he was only eight and he was already afraid of something that shouldn't cross a child's mind. He was afraid of becoming stuck. So I had to fix it. I told him that we'll make a list and we'll start with the simple stuff he could think of just now. Then throughout the school year while he learns about maps and more places, we'll add more and more, and we did. But eventually he forgot for…well reasons."

Her coffee was gone now, she poked two holes with her thumbs. She focused on the empty feeling filling her heart, "So, no, I don't look at the list for…reasons. But I know it isn't completed. Does that answer your question?"

Finally she looked towards her friend.

What she saw caused her to tear the cup a little more with the force of her pointer fingers. Lily wasn't looking at her, she looked down with tight lips and her concentrated look. Then-

"Regina," as she said her name she put the cup on the side of the bench as she knelt down in front of her in one swift motion.

Regina didn't have time to react because then Lily's hands covered her as she knelt in the grass, the best she could do was gasp.

"I'm sorry-"

"Lily-"she attempted to pull away but she held tighter.

"No, shut up."

Regina tilted her head as she opened her mouth but her friend charged forward in her speech.

"I mean it, really, really mean it. I am sorry. I-well I don't know what's on the list, I don't know what's written in your journal, or what has happened in your past. I don't know anything about any of that."

She took a pause. Regina wanted to say something but it was her eyes. Those brown eyes staring so intently at her with woven abnormality of sorrow. So she said nothing, merely stared back.

"but what I do know is that your favorite color is purple, that you have a sweet tooth especially when it comes to your morning coffee, you have these moments where you stop and listen to the world, you have anger issues that seriously need-"

"Lily do you want to make it four weeks before I even consider giving you a dollar."

"Right, sorry but…what I'm trying to say is that I don't know why I agreed to come with you besides wanting to know you and I don't even have that down yet. Not quite. But now I'm here and every now and then I'm going to get irritated. I'm only human. So please for the life of me, just tell me where are we going next?"

She did wonder why Lily stayed, "a festival. I uh, I want to honor the dead in Mexico City."

**Past**

She came out dripping in water with Regina's heart held in her slender fingers, looking like the goddess Regina has stated. Fire burned in those ocean eyes of hers. Rage poured in her stance and hatred burned through into Regina's heart. Attina held the Evil Queens heart with complete hatred upon seeing Emma healed and awake.

Regina looked back to the blonde, "Don't let me go."

Her voice cracked just slightly and Regina could feel so much hatred devouring her from her old friend. She dug her nails into Emma's hand and it felt so nice to harm her in the smallest of ways, maybe it was Attina wish as she held Regina's heart- to harm Emma.. It feels so nice and so wrong and oh so scary. Emma merely nodded.

"I said get away from her," Attina practically growled.

Her fingers tightened around Regina's heart and pain bloomed in her chest, she reluctantly let go of Emma. She didn't want to. Oh god her stupid heart. She looked back to Emma, into those green, green eyes showing panic ebbed with caring.

Regina obeyed. Her legs somehow finding its own way to stand above a still sitting Emma. She looked down at the blonde before her.

"Regina, my princess, I think its time we said goodbye to our nuisance of a friend." Attina's sing song voice was back laced with dark ambitions.

Regina felt what she wanted before she even spoke it.

"Show no mercy in killing her."

###

_Oh goddess_.

Emma thought.

"Don't let me go." Regina said it with such reverence and fervency laced with fear that Emma couldn't say anything back but nod.

"I said get away from her." Attina's voice was like grain upon Emma's skin.

The blonde watched with fascination as Regina slowly stood up never tearing her brown eyes away from her own green. She didn't even notice that Regina let her go.

"Regina, my princess, I think it's time we said goodbye to our nuisance of a friend."

She saw it there, in those deep brown eyes. Panic. From what she's seen it seems like the brunette can feel things through her own heart. She felt when Tink was nearby and what she wanted. So if that's panic-

"Show no mercy in killing her."

_Ah crap._ Emma thought.

"Regina?" Emma barely whispered it as suddenly the brunette lunged at her.

"Oh-Regina!"

She pushed her away by the lapels of her shoulders. Her caramel eyes were a dark omnipotent brown filled with sudden hatred. It reminded the blonde of a time before this, back when the days were darker, when she first met not only Henry but her as well. Regina grunted as she stumbled backwards and Emma scrabbled up on shaky legs.

"Regina?"

She stumbled back slightly, watching with her mouth slightly agape as the brunette rose almost wave-like, with her eyes set on hell. Every cell in her body shouted run. But when could she ever leave her? Why would she leave?

"I-I don't want to hurt you-"Emma began but then Regina held her out up and a ball of flame erupted.

"Ahp!" The blonde jumped to the side as the fireball came flying towards her.

That wasn't enough because suddenly a pair of hands coiled around her slender neck. She was turned roughly to gaze into the sorceress's eyes.

"Re-r-r-"it died on her tongue.

Regina held her close, almost nose to nose, her teeth blared as her brows scrunched squeezing tighter and tighter, "No mercy."

No. no. no. no.

Suddenly all those moments and words shared between the two didn't feel like it mattered anymore. The kiss Regina granted her only minutes ago? Oh god could it have been only minutes? It hasn't even been an hour and the mayor of Storybrooke went from tender kisses to choking the life out of her. So basically the story of her life with Regina Mills.

_Henry_.

God damn it.

Henry needs his mother. Well, mothers. He needs them both. Emma chanced a glance at Attina looking as smug as she smiled at her "sunshine." She could end it. Her pale cheeks began to grow blue. Her chest felt like it would implode from the lack of oxygen. Emma picked up her arms, she thought about pulling her hair, pushing her away, or maybe even kicking her. Anything would do really but she didn't. She didn't want to hurt Regina anymore.

Her pale hands gently cupped the older woman's cheek, she held her face and Regina then looked conflicted as her hold loosened. It felt exhausting, like the seaweed effect all over. If she could just…just-

With all her might and magic she pulled the very woman that was so hellbend on killing her she kissed her. Something occurred then, something small, something big. Emma's white magic coiled around her hands and twisted and wound around the brunette fillng her with warm.

###

Killian whacked a mermaid off of Charming. She yelped right before Mary Margaret grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her down as she kneed her stomach. She fell with a splat.

"That was brilliant," Peaches said as she pushed her hair out of her eyes, she looked around seeing all her mermaid sisters scattered about, "you're like mermaid proof."

"I think that's the last of them," Killian whipped the blood split on his lip, "who knew the fairest of them all had a few jealous streaks in her."

Mary Margaret glared at him as she helped her husband up, "no one touches my husband."

Charming smiled at her.

"Don't you go smiling just yet- you're in big trouble for following that siren." Snow shouldered him.

He merely smiled in response as his arms wrapped around hers, "mmhmm."

"I mean it! You even fought me to be with her and-"

He kissed her silent. She barely put up a fight.

Hook looked away as Peaches cleared her throat, "I think Emma and Regin-"

Their smiles vanished, as their eyes grew, "Emma!"

"That's what I'm trying-"

They rushed past them and Kilian groaned as both began to jog after the couple.

"Are they always like this?" Peaches huffed out to Killian as their footfalls reverberated off the stone walls.

"Unfortunately so." He looked to her.

"Must be nice."

"You mean hell." Killian said.

"I think it's nice to have someone." Peaches looked ahead and slowed down as they came closer to the couple, "you must not have someone to understand."

Killian glared at her, "of course I have someone. She's a pretty blonde named-"

"Emma?" Snow shouted nearly frantic that caused Killian to trail off and look forward.

He nearly tripped at the sight.

There all four came at the exact moment her daughters lips met with the Evil Queens.

###

He woke up slowly. Feeling first his arms, then his legs then-

"Ohh…why does portal traveling have to be so exhausting?" Neal turned onto this back feeling pain shoot into his side.

Neal has just cross dimensions to Neverland via shadow and was rudely dropped to the floor.

"I take it you didn't just pop by for a hello and a cup of tea did you?"

His head popped up as he stared up at Pan looming over him.

"Hello Bealfire."

That's all he got out before an arrow whisked through the air thumping into the tree next to him.

###

It took a few seconds to realize that Emma Swan didn't listen to her, but when has she ever? The blonde didn't continue talking in lieu chose action involving her lips smashing into hers. It was quick and mostly teeth baring into Emma's lips with a clatter and a muffled surprise barreling up from the small of her throat. Soon her hands loosened on the other woman's throat as it made its way up to cup her face into hers.

Sometimes a kiss really does solve everything.

"Emma?"

Or not.

And as always, Regina gently pulled Emma away. The blonde didn't register the fact that they weren't alone. Instead she had another look about her, breathless and she sucked in air as her forehead met the darker woman's. She let her hands linger on the sides of Regina's head.

"I didn't think you'd come back, I really thought I would die this time." Emma chuckled slightly.

"Unfortunately not," Attina's voice stripped them of this moment.

She felt the blonde bristle and look to the side at the goddess. Regina opted to memorize her face instead, she knew Attina still had her heart. It was only a matter of time before she lost herself again. She may as well enjoy the beautiful sight of the other woman.

"But it seems my sunshine can't be swayed so easily. Things were always difficult with you." Attina still spoke, squeezing her heart harder with each word as Regina gripped Emma's hair fighting the urge to grunt.

Attina looked to the four new comers, "and with you Regina, difficulty isn't too far to be found."

Her blue eyes zeroed in on Peaches, "it's a shame when nothing is a given. Not even love."

"What did you do to them?" Snow asked staring at the Evil Queen still hanging onto Emma like she was life itself as Emma's hand drifted to Regina's waist.

Attina frowned, "nothing."

"Lies," Hook spoke that time with the fervency of jealousy interwoven with disbelief, "Swan and the queen there never-"

"Seems to me the white knight has some dark tendencies," Attina yelled, "something I'll have to deal with. Regina dear?!" She turned back to the pair.

Regina reluctantly tore herself from the comfort of the savior to look into the eyes that held the ocean. She frowned at the sight of her. So beautiful as the calm seas reflecting the stars above, never knowing what her intentions fully are.

"You're going to be mine," she held the heart close and Regina's eyes widen as the organ touched Attina's skin.

"No!" the brunette started to sprint towards her but-

The goddess sighed with bliss as Regina's heart entered her ribcage and as she took her hand out there, in place of Regina's heart, is her own. A banished goddess's heart was the color of her, so red and vibrant like the apples grown on Regina's tree. The veins weren't the usual purple and red but rather a golden color. Then as quickly as it happened she ran towards Regina with the speed of the god she is.

"Ah-"her long red hair obscured her view of Attina shoving her own heart in the brunette.

"Regina!" Emma started to run towards them.

She heard Mary Margaret gasp along with Peaches.

Regina felt her old friends' hands between her ribcage, she held her there with a hand moving to the small of her back, "ah yes, do you feel that?"

She felt the goddess use magic and then heard Emma stumble.

The brunette gasped feeling immediate pain that isn't quite Attina bloom in her chest like liquid, "My veins are fusing with yours. Now you're as much as mine as I am yours now. This is going to be painful, mortals aren't supposed to handle gods."

The goddess chuckled low as she used her free hand to brush hair out of Regina's eyes, "now you have to find me. Oh, my poor, poor, queen. Who will save your son now?"

With that her imagine blurred into water as she teleported then was gone. Regina held a hand to her chest.

"Regina!" it wasn't just Emma now, she saw her archenemy now making her way towards where she stood.

Emma was then in front of her, everything felt rushed and-

"Ah-"she gripped her shirt where she assumed the heart was.

"Regina? What happened?" Henry's other mothers eyes roamed over her, "what did she do?"

"She switched our hearts." That was about all she managed before pain fully echoed into her body as she grunted.

"Whoa-hey," Emma grabbed onto her as Regina grabbed her arms to steady herself, "it's okay, I got you. Now tell me what I need to do."

Oh Emma, she may forsake her title but it fits perfectly.

"Look at me" Regina grunted through her teeth that sounded much like a hiss.

"What?" Emma stared at her.

"Just look at me..." the brunettes face turned red as she grunted in pain and squeezed Emma's arms creating crescent-shaped moons into her fair skin, "don't look away."

Snow, David, and Peaches were a little more than a few feet from them. She could see Emma give them a look that spoke of something like, "give us some space."

She can only assume the pirate was helping his old enemy, the pixie from the water canal.

Emma held Regina up by her elbows, "okay."

The pain of harboring a god's heart made itself known with the next heart beat as Regina opened her mouth and contorted her face showing pain as she screamed. Emma closed her eyes firmly holding the screaming queen.

Pain.

She's knew pain all her life. Regina Mills knows all sorts of pain ranging from childhood emotional trauma to torture. But this, oh god this was much worse.

Her limbs burned, her chest felt like thorns grew there tearing every small muscle each time she drew breath. Her arms felt like a thousand swords cut into her all at once. Such hatred swallowed her head causing searing edges to dig into the sides of her head like nails being pounded into her temples. Even her toes felt like something was crushed them. Each heart beat felt like the crack of a whip mixed with a jolt of electric shocks.

_Lub-dub_

Regina wanted to bite her tongue off if it meant freedom from this.

_Lub-dub_

She screamed even more as if the form itself would chase way the shards cutting her inside out.

_Lub-dub_

Oh god make it stop.

_Lub-dub_

She wanted to crush her own chest if it meant to stop the beating of this heart.

_Lub-dub_

Her body bent back a little more and little more until her hair hung and she could see the ceiling of rocks being highlighted like the canal below as the glowing blue waters reflected and danced above. Still, she screamed until her body failed and she felt her knees meet the floor. She also felt her.

Emma Swan made sure she didn't hit the floor that hard and for that she was grateful. More pain isn't what she needed. The blondes hand moved from her elbows to her backside holding her up. She felt her arms bend into the younger woman as she held Regina closer.

She was saying something. It wasn't quite audible. The blood flowed through her ears and all she could hear was her own screams blending so beautifully with warped sloshes. Regina's hands moved to her own chest where her own heart should be, but it isn't. What's here isn't hers, it's a curse. Something so vile and ancient filled with years of hatred.

It hurts.

Pain, pain, pain.

A pair of hands was cupping her face. She was forced to look into her green eyes. They looked wonderful, like a green jewel being held to the sun. She was so beautiful. Even when she's scared, even when those tears run down her face, and she's saying something so clear but it's lost within those screams and pain.

Finally Ms. Swans touch is soft now, pushing back Regina's hair behind her ears and for a brief moment her voice echoes into the mayors ears, "what do I do? Tell me what to do!"

Oh, she's so beautiful when she's doesn't know what to do. She's a beautiful idiot.

"Let me save you Regina."

It's quiet now. Maybe it's because of her. This woman in front of her.

"Just tell me what to do."

Her chest jolted and the brunette grunted and hissed. Pain, pain, pain. She clawed into her chest.

"Take it out, take it out. Take. It. OUT!"

But she couldn't. It's stuck there, cursed there, and forever there it shall remain.

Regina pushed Emma away.

"No!" She heard Emma shout as her hands grabbed onto the other woman's wrists, "you're not leaving again! You're not leaving me!"

"No!" Regina screamed trying to twist and wound herself out.

"No!" Emma yelled, "You promised!"

It always comes to that doesn't it? A promise she makes.

###

Henry Mills sat there on a log while the lost boys danced and howled at the rising moon. He drew lines connecting one after another into a rectangle while drawing a door right in the middle because god forsaken anything be asymmetrical on his mother's house. He drew a couple windows then sighed. Who knew he'd miss home? All he ever wanted was to leave in the past year but now, well now walking up those steps where he spent his entire life would be heavenly and worth any pixie dust in the world. He sighed drawing the roof. They were going to save him, he knew it. It's just a matter of time.

A pair of feet stomped over the windows of the house in the sand and his eyes followed up past the green looking legs to-

"What's this Henry?" Pan stood there not bothering to move, in fact he shuffled his feet a little.

"What do you mean?" the small replied.

"What I mean is that there's a whole party behind you and you're sitting here looking so mature and sad. It's pathetic." The oldest lost boy crossed his arms over his chest, "why don't you join us?"

Henry sat straighter imagining his brunette mother as she sat behind her desk. He held the stick between his fingers as Regina does to her pens when addressing someone she does not like.

"Why don't you just let me go?"

"Are we back on that subject again?!" Pan chuckled, "common Henry I told you no one can get to this island but children."

"Greg and Tamara did." Henry pointed held his head higher proving a point, "and they're hardly children."

"Those two idiots had a magic bean." Pan smiled.

Henry frowned, "What ever happened to them?"

Pan shrugged, "don't know, maybe the mermaids got to them, they're feisty ones."

"You're not going to help them?"

Pan scoffed, "Henry?" he moved and Henry watched as his sand house dissolved with the movement of his feet.

The lost boy sat next to him, "don't you know how amazing this island is?"

Henry scrunched his visage in confusion so Pan kept on speaking.

"This island runs on magic but not any magic. Ours. Children's dreams and love and our young innocent lives run this very place. It's a land of wonders."

Henry lowered his eyes as he stared at the floor thinking over what he just said. It did sound pretty amazing.

"This is a place where rules don't exist. Aren't you tired of rules? I know your mother was a very strict woman, or so I've heard."

Henry frowned. She is. He thought back to all the curfews she's given him. He even thought about Emma's restrictions, she didn't have many but they were there. No doing something Regina wouldn't approve of. No sweets in the evening before bed. He thought about his school and how stupid it was to not have more than two people at a time go to the restrooms. Rules are-

"Rules don't exist here Henry. Don't you understand?"

The young boy looked into Pans green eyes, "you flew today, and doesn't that mean something?"

The boys' laughter from the fire drifted to them and Pan looked towards them, "let go for once. I promise you its fun."

Henry wanted to, oh boy did he ever want to just jump up and howl at the moon with them while parading around the heat of the flames with funny masks and…friends. He wanted friends.

He mentally shook himself, "my mothers are coming, I-"

"Do you like wolves?" Pan suddenly jumped up.

"What?" Henry stayed rooted to his spot on the log.

"I made this for you," he put his hands behind his back then brought forth a wolf mask intricately designed with likes adorning the sides to look like fur.

Henry fought his inner kid.

"Just one dance, you can move to the music and-"

"Music?" Henry gave him a look of disbelief, "I don't hear music."

Pan stopped and stared at the young boy looking…surprised, "you-? You don't hear it?"

"Hear what?"

Pan seemed to have an inner struggle before he put on a smile, "nothing. I uh-"he put the wolf mask besides the young boy, "I'm not going to pressure you into anything. It's just, the boys would really like to officially meet the newcomer. You see, we're all family here and we welcome anyone with open arms and…well it's nice to make new friends."

Henry looked at the mask, and for some odd reason or another he whispered, "I've never really had a friend."

He missed the smile that Pan suddenly sported, "maybe it's time you make some."

With that he ran off to join his lost boy's leaving Henry to forget about his sand house as he stared at the mask faintly hearing the beating of drums. Just ever so faintly. He didn't know why, but it scared him. He felt like if he gave in everything would somehow crumble. His fingers brushed the sides of the mask, it was made out of wood but felt as smooth as velvet. He picked it up putting it on his lap. Laughter filled his ears as his eyes tore away from the beautiful mask to see the lost boys moving in a circular formation around the fire. It looked fun if he were honest with himself, and he did fly today. The beating became louder.

It would be nice to have friends.

_Beat, beat, beat._

It was louder and louder with each thought but Henry ignored it.

It would be nice to laugh with someone other than his family. Family is great and all but he wanted another connection. One that he's seen in movies, the kind you read in books.

Far off flutes began to play and Henry's heart picked up with each note.

No one ever wanted to be his friend. He was the weird kid that spoke of crazy far off lands with his mother as mayor.

The flutes became a part of him while simultaneously flourishing with the beating of the drums, with the beating of his heart.

He was the crazy kid whose best friend was his therapist.

His fingers began tapping against the mask.

He was the kid whose mothers always fought.

Suddenly he was standing.

He was the kid who was adopted by the Evil Queen.

He was the kid who now put on the wolf mask as he ran and howled to the beating of the drums and the sound of the flutes. He was the kid who flew today and nothing was going to stop him now because here he has no fighting mothers, no therapist telling him his imagination is a gift, no grandparents that hated his mom, no classmates telling him he was weird, no adults and especially no rules.

To the side leaning against a tree was a smirking Pan.

"I see you've succeeded," her voice was like dark satin sheets. The lost boy looked to the side of him to gaze into the face of Attina.

"He wasn't able to hear the music for a while but a little push was all he needed." He said.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"I only offered him friendship."

"Oh my, that's quite sad." Attina mocked.

"Your queen did quite a number on this boy," Pan commented as Attina hummed.

"Told you she would, she didn't exactly have a happy childhood either. You know, that's how I got into her head too? Made her hear my own music. I offered her friendship, and it's how I gained her heart."

She looked to Peter whom smiled, "so we don't have to worry about the sorceress anymore?"

"Well, I wouldn't quite say that," she tapped her chest, "I mean I literally have her heart."

"You didn't eat her?" Pan scoffed, "that's a first for you. You're not going soft are you?"

The goddess glared at him. Before she could speak Henry howled and giggled half way through as he jumped arm in arm with one of the lost boys, gaining their attention.

"He's much like Regina, so full of life and wonder. It's too bad he doesn't have any magic."

"Well I wouldn't let you touch him anyway, just as you need Regina's heart, I need his. So he's mine."

Attina hummed, "you're such a softie dear."

Pan pretended to gag, "do we have to worry about the gang of idiots?"

"Probably, they're quite slippery if you ask me, knocked out my mermaids." She said it with a bit of a bite.

"But now you're here, I think that's a sign for the better."

"Oh believe me, you have plenty of time but I'm here because Regina's going to come get her son. With or without her heart."

"I thought you said mortals can't handle a god's heart?" Peter asked.

"She's special. There's a reason I chose her."

Pan frowned as he thought that over before he answered curtly, "Alright."

They stared and the dancing boys when Attina spoke again, "you seem far away dear."

Pan glanced to her, "his father's here."

"Henry's?"

"Yes."

"Why are you worried about a mortal with no power," Attina tightened her jaw.

"It's not him I'm worried about, I found him before he was rescued."

"By?"

"The other inhabitants of the island."

"Oh," she frowned, "that is a problem, but that doesn't mean we still don't have time."

"I imagine we have half a day before they all come after us. It shouldn't be too hard. We already corrupted the boy, all we have to do is wait until tomorrow night when the moon is full."

"That's plenty. In the meantime," Attina waved a hand over her as water enveloped her body shrinking her down to Pans height, her long hair shrunk to a boyish short, a dark burgundy shirt covered her chest over dark brown pants, while moccasins appeared on her feet like all the other lost boys had, and a mask with a fish face appeared in her hand, "I want to get to know the child my princess raised."

She put on the mask as she skipped over to the fire humming a familiar tune. Henry heard it very gently flowing through his head very wispy and sweet. He felt drawn to it like bugs are drawn to light, little did he know of the zap this light would provide. Still, he followed and soon he came face to face with a fish mask with bright red hair poking out behind it. He listened to her as he slowed a bit feeling the flames heat up his right side.

_You are my sunshine,_

_My darling sunshine…_

###

Regina had stopped screaming, instead she had laid her head in the middle of Emma's chest, and it was quiet as she listened to the other woman's heartbeat. It thumped in a melatonin vibrancy of a drum. Snow, Charming, Hook, Peaches, and a now rescued Tinkerbell sat on the other side of the cave at Emma's request.

Snow spoke quietly, "if I'm honest I'd rather the pirate."

"Thank you!" Killian whispered loudly.

Tinker Bell frowned at them as did Charming.

"I don't know," Peaches said quietly, "they're cute together and it seems the only thing that calmed Regina down is the savior herself."

Snow scoffed, "twenty-eight years in limbo and suddenly the evil queen is-"

"Broken." Bell's voice was spoken in a normal tone, "she's broken. Not evil."

"Well how would you know?" Snow said, "You didn't see her as the Evil Queen."

"And you didn't quite see her before nor did you ever hold her heart as I did." Tink hissed through clenched teeth.

"Okay," Charming said, "I think what we should focus on now is-"

Mary Margaret hit his shoulder, "are you really going to defend the woman that nearly killed our child?"

"Well I-"he started before Killian cut in.

"That's right, she nearly killed Emma and-"

"Emma kissed her and now she's fine-"Peaches spoke.

"Oh god, no, too soon-"Snow said, "how about we all just forget that. Besides she doesn't know what she wants-"

"She wants a pair of blonde legs between her-"Killian started before Snow smacked him.

"I meant Emma. She doesn't know what she wants, she just lost Neal and it must all be so confusing for her to lose the love of her life."

"Or she could be finding out that Regina-"Peaches began before-

"Regina, Regina, Regina-"Killian mocked in a whiney tone, "is that really all this is about?"

"Well they are connected by a _child_. You remember the child that's our _grandson_, Snow? The one that's still _missing_ while you are all complaining about the kiss between Emma and Regina that's probably not that important anyway. Haven't you ever thought that, that was the only way for Emma to snap Regina out of it? Nothings more confusing than a kiss. Especially one to an evil queen." Charming said in a whispered rush watching as his wife's expression changed to anger to confusion to sudden awareness that their grandchild is still missing.

"_Ex_-evil queen," Tinker Bell interjected.

"Right, _ex_-evil queen." Charming said.

"The ex may not remain there too long if you idiots keep arguing." Regina's voice startled them all as she stood no more than a few feet away, arms folded as she glared at them all.

Emma stood beside her trying to look intimidating but ultimately failing as her cheeks redden with finally facing her parents after what they had just witnessed.

"Regina!" Mary Margaret shouted in surprise, "you're not-?"

"Zip it Snow White we need to find my son and lets not dabble with pleasantries. No- the heart won't kill me-"

"Unfortunately-" Snow whispered as Emma's mouth flew open.

"Mary-"

Regina talked over them, "BUT I suspect it's a tactic to slow us down a lot more than I thought."

"What?" Peaches spoke, "but that doesn't make sense, Attina wanted you and-"

"And now she has my heart, that's as good as anything, but I also have her heart now. Albeit I can't take it out because it's too powerful but now that means if I die, so does she."

Peaches looked at her chest where her heart should be, "then you really must be something if you can handle a gods heart."

Regina grabbed her chest still feeling a throb, she didn't have much time, but she wasn't going to tell them that. That she could feel the heart's golden blood beat throughout her entire system making her feel tired and warm. She felt dull pain pull at her insides like an echo of what happened earlier, even so, it wasn't enough to stop her.

"Do you have any idea where to start to find my son, um-?" she gestured to the mermaid.

"Peaches," she smiled holding out her hand not really caring that Regina forgot her name, it was understandable.

The mayor eyed the hand as she quickly shook it.

"I think there's only one place I know of that'll know where the lost boys are." She glanced at everyone, "they live on the other side of the island."

"Oh, _oh_ of course," Tinker Bell said suddenly astonished.

"What I don't-"Killian's expression changed, "oh!"

"What?" the Charming asked as Regina and Emma exchanged an unsure look.

"Would they even help us?" Tinker Bell asked.

"They should if they knew a child was in danger, they like rescuing outsiders."

"Wait- who are you talking about?" Regina asked.

"Well the other inhabitants of the island. We call them the old ones, because they've been here for so long. I think in your world they were some sort of warriors of the land. They stopped aging here because of their culture being so closely knitted to nature that they connected to this island." Peaches said, "they wear feathers like a bird and-"

Emma interrupted, "tell me you're not talking about-"

"The Native Americans of Neverland," Regina said.

"No way," Snow spoke looking to her husband.

"What makes you so sure they'll help us," Hook said skeptically.

"Because now they have a chance to rid the island of Attina and Pan." Tinker Bell said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Regina smiled, "lead the way."

"I have magic, I can teleport us there." Peaches added.

###

Henry spun in circles as he skipped around the fire with his newfound friend with the fish mask and red hair with the pretty voice etching themselves into his brain.

"It feels great doesn't it?!" she yelled into his ear and he didn't question the fact that this was girl and not a lost boy.

All that mattered was that she was holding his hand as they laughed to sound of beating drums interwoven with flutes. Henry wanted to smile but realized his mask was still on.

"We'll be lucky if we ever see the sun!" he shouted.

Attina giggled and that did weird things to Henry's insides, "no truer words have ever been spoken my dear prince!"

Henry nearly faltered, as his voice squeaked out, "prince?"

"Aren't you?" she asked.

Henry stood up straighter as he then slowed to a trot, she slowed to match his haste, "yes, I suppose I am, I'm Henry by the way."

He found it weird he didn't even know her name yet she was holding his hand like it was the only hold on life there ever was.

"I know who you are. You're the boy that flew today."

"You saw that?!" the young boy felt like doing a backflip.

"You looked like a symbol of hope, but I bet you hear that all the time."

Henry could see her blue, or was it green, eyes beneath her mask. Well, it didn't quite matter because Henry thought it was like the ocean.

"Actually no, I normally get told I'm weird."

"Henry Mills if there's anything you are, it's anything but weird. Common, let's go see Pan, he wanted to talk to you"

She sounded wonderful, like her voice carried both the dark and light with each octave she spoke so he allowed himself to be pulled. Soon, much too soon, he found himself in front of the head lost boy himself.

"How are you enjoying yourself Henry?" he asked with a title of his head and a smile.

The brunette boy looked to Attina and responded, "I didn't know dancing could be better than flying."

Attina giggled as Pan chuckled then his face grew grave, "you know it can't last Henry."

His heart sank, "what do you mean?"

Then Attina let go of his hand as he immediately lamented her loss of touch, "Neverland is dying." She said in such a sad voice that he never wanted to hear again.

Why was he so drawn to her? There was something there, something just below the surface. He couldn't quite place it, but it wasn't just the fact that her voice was like a billion stars all in harmony with one another but another thing. She was warm and nice and so gentle.

"Neverland is dying?' he repeated.

"We waited ages for you Henry," Pan spoke, "a prophet told us that one day there will be a boy with the heart of the truest believer."

Attina's fingers laced with the young boys once more causing Henry to look into her ocean eyes once more. That's the color, like the ocean during a sunset.

'You," was all she said.

"Me?"

"You can save Neverland." Pan said and for the first time Henry felt like a true knight.

###

The motley crew of a group appeared in cloud of green smoke six feet off the ground. All seven landed the floor.

"You didn't-"Regina grunted pushing the pixie off of her, "tell me you're inept at magic."

"Sorry, I'm still learning," Peaches squeaked as she rolled off Emma.

"Obviously," Hook elbowed Charming and rolled away.

Mary Margaret grunted in annoyance as her husband helped her up.

"It would've been nice to know what to expect," Emma said as she stood up looking for a certain brunette.

She found her and frowned as another blonde named Tinker Bell helped the queen to her feet.

"You okay?" she asked the brunette quietly and Regina had the gall to give her a slight smile as she nodded.

"Thanks," it was quiet but Emma heard it feeling uncomfortable with how long she stared into the pixies eyes.

If anything Regina was just grateful that the pixie helped her up then showed concerned, she wondered if in the time she held her heart she received a taste for her true feelings. It definitely showed in her eyes as she squeezed her hand once before letting it go. It was nice having someone lament with her. She looked over to Emma whom had a tight expression and the queen wondered if was due to the fact that they haven't found their son yet. Either way she looked back to the group to get the task at hand finished.

"Where to now?" David looked towards Peaches.

The mermaid looked around then held her hands to her lips as she began making chirping sounds. The trees rustled as the wind seemed to stop and footfalls quietly made their way into their eardrums.

"There," Mary Margaret said pointed to the east of them.

On a low branch stood a young man with long black hair, dressed in tan skinned pants and long sleeved shirt, with red paint splashed across his face holding a bow and arrow. He drew the arrow and it aimed towards them. Slowly as they looked deeper around them they appeared, all dressed similar but all different ages. Some had feathers in their hair while others merely had headbands around them.

"You," he stepped out, tall and muscular with eyes so intense it matched Regina's.

"The mermaid," he looked to Peaches, his bow slung across his chest with one arrow in hand, his gaze shifted to Killian, "the pirate-"

The pirate raised his hook in response.

"And the fairy."

Regina felt Tinker Bell stiffen next to her, "it can't be-"

The pixies accent tore through with disbelief, "you-"

"Why are you here?" he asked quickly.

"We need help," Peaches spoke.

"But I saw you die-"Tinker Bell whispered quietly Regina was sure she was the only one that could hear her.

The queen looked to this teenage boy to Tink trying to connect the two. What happened?

Before she could ask the fairy suddenly tangled her hand into Regina's. If there's one thing Regina doesn't do, it's provide comfort. She should pull away, glare at her, but it didn't quite work out because how can you deny someone that once held your heart? Yes, she lost it but she did battle for it. Regina did feel what this fairy once felt, she knew how deeply she once hurt her by accidentally causing her banishment to this land. So despite all the disdain she felt at this simple thing, she held this woman's hand. She needed something other than the throbbing in her chest to focus on anyway. So why not this hand? She felt rough, callused from years in the jungle of Neverland.

"Why should we help?" he asked.

"Because it involves getting rid of two great evils!" Killian shouted and the boy that stood there tighten his jaw.

"Is this true?" he looked to Peaches as she nodded.

"Attina and Pan."

It didn't take long. They agreed but then they began to explain the situation which took longer than necessary due to erupting arguments between Regina and Hook. It even longer for Emma to calm them as she took over to explain everything even more, using detailed like how Regina isn't just a raging nut, that she's a worried mother which gained Emma some glares from the other woman. The young teen was oddly calm with lingering glances towards the fairy he hesitantly gave them the benefit of the doubt that he's willing to help but as for the other inhabitants of the island, he's not entirely sure.

Now they all walked through the thickening trees to their camp with this young man whom introduced himself as Rufio leading them. Emma spared lots of side glances to Regina and Tink. Somewhere along the way the pixie stuck close to the evil queen, eventually Regina placed a hand on the blondes shoulder letting her hand slide down her arm into her hand. The brunette did her best to pretend the slide glances didn't bother as much, but her tight jaw and rigid back said otherwise. She looked to her friend and Tinker Bell smiled as she mouthed 'thank you.'

Regina thought maybe she's going soft. She thought about this as they walked through the thick leaves feeling her friends hand become damp between her fingers, her internal germaphobe flared.

"Not that much further," Rufio said.

Regina sighed thinking she'd rather go faster but then she spared a look around. The Charming couple drearly kept up with heavier footfalls. Hook broodingly stared at Emma while licking his lips from dehydration. Peaches was breathing heavily, not used to using her legs this much and would probably fall behind is it weren't for the other hunters behind them. And Emma, oh Emma looked at her back as her eyes shifted to Regina and Tink's conjoined hands while raising an eyebrow. Regina shrugged as she mouthed, "she's my friend."

Emma sighed and continued, she seemed to have a bit more flare in her. Regina thought she'll explain it better later. Then she looked to the very woman whom held her hand a bit tighter each time she looked at the boy ahead. She must know him, and by the looks on the pixies face, it was unexpected. She may not be able to feel her emotions now but she can tell by the pained expression in her eyes. It's how she looked when Emma walked with Henry back in Storybrooke. She knows what it feels like to see someone and not be able to say anything at all to them. So she swallowed her pride and disgust for the sweat protruding between their palms and treaded forward.

"We're here," Rufio moved a few large leaves and branches.

"Final-"Regina halted as her lips parted in surprise.

"Oh my-"she heard Snow comment.

There were huts aligned to the side as huge trees hung around twisting upwards into the daylight. Some houses were built as a tree house as rope hung down to the floor. A rainbow effect of flowers adorned the roofs. Woman wearing white and tan skirts stopped their daily routine to gap at the newcomers. They were so beautiful- Regina thought as they slowed their walking carrying large woven baskets. That wasn't the only thing.

A shimmer of white and gold seemed to illuminate the entire place as tiny orbs flew around. The sunlight filtered through the leaves above them highlighting the gold flecks in the air seemingly like gold snowflakes.

"Rufio," his voice was calm but held the firmness of a deep throated man.

Regina stopped looking at the golden flecks falling down and stared ahead at-

"Holy-" Emma whispered besides her.

"What did you bring with you this time?"

"Chief Little," Rufio spoke.

Regina thought that must be a joke because this man that just walked in front of them stealing their gazes into the rest of the village was tall. And by tall she means he towered over them like a building reaching heights of perhaps nine feet. He was big boned with a large chest puffing out in an authoritive manner. He wore a large feathered head piece making it look like it was hair but the strands of black whisps flowed down the sides of his face.

"They need help," Rufio said, "they claimed they are here to save her-"

He pointed at Regina whom then remembered to close her mouth as she tighten her lips into a smile.

"-son. They-" he licked his lips, "they told us that he was kidnapped and they traveled from their world to get here."

His dark black eyes studied them but his gaze lingered last on the witch, "is this true?"

Regina nodded, "I-I uh-"

She let go of Tinker Bell as she took a step forward, "I came to get my son from Peter Pan."

A collective of gasps vibrated through the village under the trees. The golden orbs seemed to hide behind the trees or under baskets and everything became just a little darker. Chief Little's back grew just a little more if possible. Regina stood her ground.

The tall man looked around as he zeroed in on Rufio, "you know our rules, why did you bring them?"

He opened his mouth to speak but Regina spoke instead, "he only wanted to help, he-"

"Silence," his voice wasn't very loud but it struck a chord in her, "you will speak only when spoken to."

The once evil queen frowned, "no."

"What did you say?" he said as he loomed ever closer.

"Chief Little-" Rufio began.

"Take them away for they have no respect," he waved his hand flippantly towards them.

"Chief Little!" Rufio practically begged with just his voice.

He looked towards the group.

"Regina did you have to aggravate him" Mary Margaret spoke with a slight sigh.

"So it's my fault?" she rounded on the supposed fairest of them all.

"That's not what she said," Emma held up her hand stopping the brunette.

"No that is exactly what I'm saying Emma, don't protect her," Snow took a step closer, "she ruins everything she touches."

"Your tongue's going to look pretty in the dirt," Regina growled as she pushed Emma out of her way, magic erupted in her through her veins sparking fire as her fireball appeared in her hand.

Her body heated as it hummed with some desperate need, she hated Snow, she hated, hated, hated her. Her mind blanked as the small fire in her hand seemed to grow turning red flames into purple. It was so hot she felt it could scorch her. Charming attempted to be next to his wife but with one hand he flew into the dense trees behind him. Fear encircled Snow's eyes despite her brave stance.

Oh god she hated that.

She hated absolute defiance and wanted to burn those eyes into the earth. Regina's eyes glowed as the flame grew with each step until-

"Stop."

His hands were as big as Regina's forearm, she glared up at him. Everything in her told her to burn those black eyes into the back of his head but something else in the back of her mind told her no.

She breathed heavily as his stare deepened with his grip on her forearm cutting the circulation.

"Regina," it was Emma.

Slowly the fire died and her heart slowed.

"You have her heart in you don't you?" Chief Little spoke and somewhere it rang in her chest.

She pulled her arm free still staring into his eyes, "who?"

"Her, the goddess, I can see it. That anger wasn't you-"

"It was all me. I've hated that tramp-"

"Hey-"Mary Margaret said meekly.

"It feels like fire doesn't it? Like you were on fire for a while when it happened? Like there were thorns in your heart?"

Regina tilted her head as her hand went to her chest, "how-?"

"I'm one of the shamans of this village as well as its Chief. I've seen many battles on this island-" he held his hand in front of him as he crouched down to meet her eye to eye, "I was her first experiment with being one of the only magical beings on this island-"

Out of his hand a string of gold spiraled into the air.

"You have magic," the brunette said.

He nodded and Regina noticed that in the light of the gold spiral his eyes weren't black but in fact a deep brown, "the fairies of this island saved me and forged me a heart of dust, unfortunately it's side effects include becoming half giant."

The brunette watched his spiral break apart fleck by fleck into nothing more than air as she asked, "how did you take it out?"

"She took it out for me, I was merely a test like I said. Then she crushed my heart."

Regina thought about this, "Your magic must be powerful if you didn't die from that."

"Well I had a family to come home to, a parent will go through hell just to get back to them."

There was sadness as he said this.

"What happened?" she asked.

He smiled sadly, "I can't leave this island because it sustains my heart. Attina wasn't happy when she found out I survived. So she banished my youngest daughter to a far off land, I expect she's a young woman now."

Regina bit her cheek as she thought about what would happen if Henry was banished and there was no way she could get to him.

"You're a parent too," he simply said in lieu of the silence.

She nodded, "and I'm getting him back with or without my heart."

"So that's where your will comes from," he stood up, "if anyone can stand the heart of a god just to get their child back then I will help you."

He held put his hand and Regina reached out to shake it, feeling even smaller as he practically engulfed her entire hand.

###

Henry stared up at the big hour glass with the golden flakes in it, "This is it?"

"The magic of Neverland," Pan said besides him, "and it's running out."

"It's beautiful," Henry spoke wanting to reach his hand towards it but opted to grasp the fabric of his jeans

"It is, isn't it?" Attina said standing on the other side of Henry.

"So what do I do? How am I supposed to save this?" the young boy turned the corner of his lips downwards in confusion.

Quiet. That's never a good sign. Henry gripped his mask as he looked to the two people besides him.

"Henry…" Pan began but-

"No, I'll tell him," all eyes went to Attina.

"Tell me what?" Henry felt her grab his hand as she faced him fully.

Her free hand went to the mask, she pulled it off freeing herself. Henry thought if he was walking he'd surely find the floor fast. Her eyes were just as bright here as back at the camp, her bangs slightly covered her forehead before she pushed it out of the way. She was like water, she was life fire, she was…beautiful.

Then she dropped her mask as she grabbed Henry's other hand, "Henry I need you to listen to me."

"Of course," he replied.

Pan smirked behind him as he gazed into Attina's eyes.

"This isn't easy to say," she bit her lip as Pan thought about how to congratulate her on her acting.

She was a goddess after all, show is all a part of her.

"You see we need a heart."

"Oh," Henry's voice deflated as he stared into the goddess's ocean eyes, "you mean mine, don't you?"

Attina nodded with sorrow filling her eyes, "I know that's hard for you to understand but-"

"Will I survive?" he asked, "I mean I know of a guy who went years and years without a heart and-"

"That's not how it works," Pan said as Henry turned to see him.

"I see…" he let go of Attina's hand then looked towards the giant hourglass.

"What happens if I don't do this?"

"The island dies as does the magic with it." Her voice is like the night sky, so soft filling him with both dread and light.

"So what you're saying is I give my life for the sake of this island and…and what then?" his fingers started to shake.

"Then you save magic and the children here and the children to come. This island isn't just for those who currently inhabit it. It's for the lost kids, the ones who need our help the most, it's a refuge." Attina spoke with such softness.

"But-" Henry turned around and nearly jumped back when he came face to face with her, "but uh-"

Her hand gently touched the middle of his chest, "we _need_ you Henry. You'll be a savior here, a prophet that once lived, and the most powerful lost boy on this island. This heart you have is special. You're special."

Henry wanted to tell her he's not a lost boy but she looked so sincere he merely stared at her.

"We'll sing songs of the boy we waited for and of the boy who saved us all." Pan interjected, "you'll be the hero of Neverland."

Henry took a step back, "my mom wouldn't like that."

"Your mom isn't here."

That's true, he wondered if she even found a way to get here yet.

"Adults can't come here Henry." Attina said.

"But, she'll wonder where I went."

"Then we'll sing of the hero of Neverland across the worlds!" Attina said in a jubilant tone that was eerily happy, "we'll talk about you for centuries to come! We'll tell her that you shall live on in songs and that you were brave!"

"But-"she grabbed his hand spinning him with her.

"You'll save all the lost children, all the neglected kids that need to come here!"

That did sound nice.

"Oh we'll never forget you." She slowed down holding his hands close to her, "I'll never forget you."

Henry's heart didn't know whether to drop or rise.

"I know it's hard to decide but you know you don't have to decide now. We have until tomorrow when there's a full moon."

"What's so important about that?"

Pan spoke up, "it's when magic is at its highest."

"Oh," Henry let go of her hands, "but…" he sighed and mustered up his courage, "I don't want to die."

"Henry-"Attina started before Henry spoke over her.

"Can you give me a few minutes alone?"

Peter and the goddess stood in a far off corner of the cave watching Henry sit there in a slouch gazing at the wolf mask.

"We could tell him he won't die," Attina whispered.

"Well one of us already hinted that he will." Pan hissed.

"Right well, at least one of us is succeeding in his affections. He probably wouldn't have agreed to come here if I didn't come."

Pan glared, "was he everything like his adoptive mother?"

Attina chuckled, "like a little version of herself, with fire in those eyes and a nack for tough choices. And far, far too easy to manipulate."

"He's taken quite a shine to you."

"Oh don't they all darling?" she smiled at him.

"I mean he really likes you. He looks at you like you're some sort of…" he tried to find the words.

"Goddess?" she offered.

Pan smirked, "does it run in the family? The affirmation for you?"

"Our queen loved to dance too." Attina hinted, "_Oh_ that girl loved to dance with me more than life itself."

"The things you do for more power right?"

Attina hummed in agreement before Henry turned towards them.

"I think he's decided," Attina began the walk to him.

"I want to wait." His voice tried for firm but came off slightly shaky.

The goddess sported a frown as she stalked towards him, "no worries, no worries, we'll wait. But-"

Pan looked to his friend, watching her stalk her prey as she put a hand to Henry's shoulder, feeling the expanse between his shoulder blades.

"But?" the young boy asked.

"If you were to decide tomorrow and no one is forcing you, tell us, how would you spend your last night?"

Pretty soon she was facing him, one hand on his shoulder as her visage perked. He reached down to grab her hand, gripping his mask in the other hand, "I think I'd like to dance with my friends."

With a blush forming across his young face he brought up her slender hand to lay his lips atop the back of her palm.

She showed more teeth as her eyes sparkled, she gripped his hand tighter glancing towards Pan as she replied, "Granted," they disappeared in a green cloud to appear before the camp of lost boys.

The drumming returned as well as the vibrant echoes of the flute and the goddess began to hum her tune. Henry pulled on his mask feeling the drums sing along with his heart. He felt the excitement of the flutes as temporal desires filled his system. He wanted nothing more than this, so with joy tugging at the corner of his lips he threw his head back and howled to the moon as the other boys welcomed him back with pats to the back mixed with shouts of excitement. He laughed as an older boy picked him up and began spinning him around as he shouted delights. Henry's family disappeared with each drum beat becoming louder than before.

"Do you think Regina will reach us before we rip her sons' heart out?" Attina watched the truest believer jump wildly about standing next to Peter Pan.

He shrugged while crossing his arms, "maybe, you did say she was special. Why do you ask?"

"I just want to see if I can feel her heart break from inside me."

"You're terribly evil."

"Well someone has to be my dear friend." She began walking towards the dancing boys.

###

The moon shared it's blue shimmer through the branches overhead as the fairy orbs flew around raining the golden flecks upon them in the firelight. The drums beat as women and men sang the language of their people as others danced. Emma watched her mother smile brightly as the other woman painted her face with red streaks while Charming was talking to the other married men. Hook was leaning against one side of a hut staring at her through the flames of the fire. Peaches was speaking with one of the younger people in their own language, apparently everyone under the age of twenty know her due to Peaches interests in escaping her mermaid clan.

She sipped her tea they offered and wished they had sugar packets instead of mint tea leaves, it's not sweet enough. Tink sat besides her twisting her short green skirt in her hands seemingly trying not to seem nervous. And Regina, the woman sat next to the chief nodding and smiling.

"She seems to befriend all powerful beings, it's like she's a magnet," Emma mumbled into her tea talking to Tinker Bell.

"She is a bit theatric," Tink replied, "besides it's her theatrics that got us the help of everyone here, well almost everyone."

Emma nodded, she watched the way Regina scrunched her face while pointing at the tiny fairies, probably asking questions about them.

"Hey, you're a fairy right?"

Tink made a noise of affirmation, "you want to ask about the tiny fairies flying around us?"

Emma nodded.

"They're the fairies of this world and it seems like they like the Native Americans here. Their magic keeps them hidden, I've never been able to find them and neither has the lost boys."

"But shouldn't they helping the lost boys? You know, because they're essentially children?"

"Well, I think they just assume Pan has turned then evil already, it's not like they keep track of them. Peter is a baleful expression on this island, he's like…I guess he's like the Regina of your world. Everyone's a little afraid of him."

The example cause Emma to smile, "so I never asked you- how do you know our lovely mayor?"

"From the Enchanted Forest."

"I gathered that much," Emma took another sip doing her best not to gag.

"I knew her before she became evil, well- fully evil. She was still spiteful when I met her but mostly she was lonely and sad."

The other blonde frowned into her cup, "I can't imagine that. So why-why um, why was she so hesitant to see you again?"

Tink continued to pull at invisible thread on her green dress, "that's kind of a long story and you need your rest. I mean you nearly died today."

Emma sighed.

"Besides, it doesn't really matter now, what matters now is that we're here in Neverland and I forgive her. Being responsible of someone's' heart really does change a person."

Emma saw Rufio disappear behind a few trees, she was about to ask Tink why Regina even gave her heart up in the first place when the fairy suddenly stood up.

"It was nice talking to you Emma, but excuse me-"she left and followed the path that Rufio took.

She wondered why. At least until Regina's vibrant laughter pierced her ears and she looked over to where the brunette was. She was being offered a dance from one of the village women. She was tall and slender with more than half her legs showing. She smiled as she offered one hand while the other pushed back her long dark hair behind her ear. Her dress was white and strapless clinging to her body in a sort of flimsy way, creating ripples along her curves.

Emma put her cup down as she sauntered over.

She heard the chief speaking, "this is one of my older daughters, Dark Moon, and she has been blessed to love all humans. Man and woman alike, which doesn't matter anyway no one's good enough for her beauty. And it would be an insult to deny the princess a dance."

Regina's eyebrows rose as she eyed the chief.

"Just one," he said.

"But my son-"

"Is safe for the night, if there is one thing I know about the lost boys, it's that they do not kill one of their own. You have been trapped, tortured emotionally, and switched hearts with a goddess today. Do me a favor, from parent to parent, just dance with my daughter."

Regina opened them closed her mouth, small noises echoing her speechless nature, "I just tried to kill someone earlier."

"But you didn't and I think that deserves a dance."

"You don't mind that I'm an older woman?"

"All I'm asking is a dance dear witch. Anything more than that you'll have to answer to her brothers and sisters."

Regina looked back at the woman holding her hand out in front of her.

"I promise I'll be good," her voice was sweet like honey while her eyes shined like the moon.

Regina grabbed her offered hand, she was soft. The queen looked back to the chief, her new friend, "I can't promise the same thing."

Emma stopped halfway and simply stood there as the villagers whistled at the pair as Dark Moon dragged her near the fire. Chief Little clapped and chuckled and Emma had the sudden need to punch the half giant.

Regina on the other hand let the woman guide her, carefully ignoring Emma's glare, as her hand traveled to the other woman's hips.

"I'm sorry about that, my father just thought you would have a better night if someone asked for a dance," she smiled sweetly.

"So you were forced to dance with me?"

"Oh no! Sorry, no, I didn't think it would come off like that, I probably would have asked you to dance anyway," she didn't quite stumble through which made Regina wonder how good her people skills were.

Well she is a princess.

"I just didn't want you to think I was the over bearing princess, that's my other sister Storm," Regina nodded.

"You all have strange names," she decided to comment.

"Father likes to keep things simple, like name his children after something they were born under or during."

Regina thought about it, "Dark Moon?"

"I was born during the time when the moon became dark then came back."

The brunette thought about this, "You mean like a lunar eclipse?"

"If that's what your people call it, then yes," she smiled.

"How many siblings do you have?" she asked.

"Well, there's the oldest, Big Leaf-"

Regina raised her eyebrows at that in amusement.

"I know," Dark Moon sighed with a chuckle, "she just likes to be called Lea."

"Pretty name," Regina commented.

Dark Moon continued, "the second oldest, he's a bit pretentious, Blue Waters, mother went swimming when she gave birth-"

Regina nodded, "the third is Storm, then the fourth is me," she chuckled a bit nervously, "then my young brother is the fifth child, his name is funny, it's Bug. There was big bug that tried to eat our mother when that happened."

Regina fought it but eventually a smile formed, "wow…"

"Yeah I know, then I have twin brothers, the one with long hair is Golden Sparks and the one with short hair is Little Boy, together we call them the golden boys because they like to excel at everything. Mom had them when she went to go save our father from Attina and with her love she helped create his heart." The corner of her lips tugged as her eyes fell a bit in the memory but then she seemed to pull herself back out.

"Then there's our baby sister that Attina banished, oh she was so defiant and liked running around in the forest. We always joked that she inherited father's recusant nature and mother's fire. Father protected her the most and tried to keep her by his side but she was so…I guess free," she paused as she licked her lips, "I remember her having our mothers eyes and well…mother gave birth to her before she died."

"Oh," Regina stepped a little closer, "what was her name?"

"You know it was the oddest thing when she was born, you see our parents both possessed magical properties and as our baby sister was born a giant flower bloomed above their heads in the forest. Her name was Tiger Lily."

Regina nearly stumbled but Dark Moon's grip tighten on her waist.

"Sorry I just-" the witch paused as she looked up realizing for the first time just how tall her dancing partner is, her dark hair cascaded down the sides of her face creating a frame of curtains, her eyes glistened in the moonlight.

Regina realized that they had danced a little further from the fire than she had expected, Dark Moons arms were embraced around her waist and Regina just stared. Her body was flush against the princess and a pinkish feel spread across her features. Just as the brunette was going to disentangle herself suddenly a pair of hands grabbed her and pulled her away.

"Hey-"Regina began before she met the gaze of Emma Swan, "Oh."

"I'm sorry to interrupt this dance but can you excuse me while I talk to the mother of my child?" Emma smiled at Dark Moon whom never let her gaze falter from Regina.

"Uh-I-Yes, of course, excuse me," she ducked her head as she walked away.

"Emma-"she began before the blonde grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the crowd, past the thick wall of leaves and into a clearing.

"_What_ are you doing?" Emma asked through clenched teeth and a whisper.

The other woman pulled her hand back as she crossed her arms, "I believe I was dancing with the chiefs daughter, whom was telling me about her family before you-"

"Oh yeah, because that's how you talk about family right?"

Regina titled her head, "what are you talking about Emma?"

"I'm talking about you being all-"Emma waved her hands around then to her own body, "you know what I mean! Being close and looking at her like she was a piece of forbidden fruit."

Regina raised her eyebrow then smirked, "Emma? Are you-? Are you jealous?"

The blonde's mouth dropped, "what? No! That's- no! That's ridiculous! I'm just saying that you're dancing with princesses and holding hands with fairies and that's a bit suspicious if you ask me," she scoffed as Regina's smile grew, "I'm not jealous. I'm just wondering if a gods heart is the one taking all these actions because it's absolutely weird how close you've been with other people within these past few hours and-"

Regina grabbed the blonde's face as she pulled her into a kiss cutting any more words.

"And-"another kiss, she mumbled against Regina's lips, "and you're kissing me."

Regina leaned her forehead against hers, "Tinker Bell is my friend and I at least owe her a simple hand holding from what I did to her. Then I was peer pressured into a dance with a princess whom just told me that her youngest sister is Tiger Lily from Henry's books of Peter Pan and excuse me if that surprised me a bit that I tripped."

"Right into her?"

"She caught me."

"She's very pretty."

"I suppose."

"Her eyes never left yours. Isn't that something?"

Regina shrugged, "but she doesn't have your eyes," oh god did she really just say that?

She wished it wasn't so dark to see Emma blush, she certainly felt it, felt her face heat up just a bit.

"But the way she looked at you and the way you looked at her…" Emma trailed off.

Regina decided to kiss her in response, "this is a nice spot."

"Nice for what?" Emma ask.

"Look around," she said.

So the blonde did, she pulled her into a small patch of meadow where flowers grew as the moon shined upon them past the thin clouds. The tiny fairies followed them and they were dancing around them causing tiny flecks of light. It illuminated a blue hue like a fairy tale. Regina grabbed Emma's hand and the blonde startled for a moment as the brunette wound her other hand around her waist pulling her closer.

"Emma I don't know what we are exactly, or what I am to you right now or what you are to me. I'm not sure I'll even survive a week with this heart-"

She opened her mouth but Regina held one finger up to her, silencing her unspoken words, then she put her hand back on Emma's waist. They danced slowly.

"I don't know where our son is or Attina and I'm not sure how tomorrow will go when we go to the lost boy's camp with Rufio and the others. But what I do know is that, this spot right here, is a nice spot for a dance with you."

Emma felt she should say something back but she couldn't. In lieu she stared at the other woman's features, soft right now as she smiled at her. Her need to assure the brunette that she will get her heart back subsided as the fairies flew closer creating small halos in Regina's eyes making it golden.

This is a nice place for a dance.

###

Neal awoke in the small hut. He heard drums outside as he grunted against his tired body thinking it must be the side effects of being pulled into a new world via flight. Then he shot up quickly, drums, drums are never good.

"Whoa there, Bealfire, you mustn't get up so quickly," Neal looked to an older woman with grey hair fastened into a braid.

"Grandma Green," he said, "you're…am I?"

"No, you're not dead, I'm just still alive," she shrugged, "the island prolongs life as you remember."

Neal nodded, "I remember," he sat up, "so am I in the village? Is that why there's drums playing?"

She nodded as she handed him a cup of water, he drank as she spoke, "oh yes, you're not the only new comer. Lord only knows why you would even return."

She scoffed as she took back the cup from him.

"New comers?"

She nodded, "Rufio brought the pixie that resides on the other side of the island along with the one handed pirate, and a beautiful witch that's caught the attention of our dear Dark Moon-"

Neal frowned, "Hook's back?"

She nodded.

"Dark Moon finally likes someone? _And_ it's a witch?"

She chuckled, "_she_ is a witch, not 'it's', I see your manners have not improved with age."

Neal smiled, "who else?"

She thought about it, "well one of the mermaids, I think her name is some sort of fruit, can't remember which but she's okay, so don't worry about her."

He nodded.

"Two nice couples, I think their name was some sort of flattery. Charmed-?"

Neal's smile vanished as he sat up straighter.

"Charcoal? Oh I can't-"

"Charming?" Neal responded for her.

"_That_ was it, quite an odd name if you ask me-"

Neal jumped up rushing to the hut's door.

"Bealfire! You can't-"

"Sorry Grandma Green!" he shouted as he bolted through the wooden hut stumbling out onto the grass and soil.

He was bit farther away and his legs begged to bend back down but he could see the fire between a few houses. He heard laughter and drums beating faster as his heart suddenly spiked.

"Emma," he said then stumbled his way along slowly regaining his balance with each step towards the fire.

###

"We should get back," Regina whispered into Emma's ear.

In response the other woman grumbled.

The brunette chuckled as she pulled back a little, "your parents are going to wonder where you are."

"My parents huh? Sure you just don't want to dance with the princess again?"

Regina kissed Emma, "now why would you say that? I thought we were over your jealousy?"

"I'm not jealous, it's just that you've never given any thought to my parents."

"That was before I kissed their daughter and I think Snow's closer to killing me now than before."

Despite it, Emma did agree with that, so she pulled Regina just a little closer as her lips met the others, "okay."

Together they walked hand in hand, "I think I deserve a hand hold too," Emma said.

"I gave you a dance _and_ a kiss!"

The blonde shrugged, "I still think I deserve a little hand holding."

Regina shook her head as her grip tighten on Emma, "fine, but we're letting go before we get back to the fire."

"Don't want your princess girlfriend seeing us?"

"You very know it's for my own sake against your mother, Emma Swan."

Emma merely laughed, now that she go the initial equation of why Regina did what she did then gave her kisses and dances in the moonlight, she found that teasing the other woman was fun. Which was weird, nothing is ever fun. She nearly lamented as soon as the wall of leaves came into view.

Although neither knew it but this was the last moment. The only good one in Neverland that will end with those two because as soon they neared the party Regina's hand slipped from Emma's with slight hesitation, Emma was too busy looking at the ground to hide her increasing inner joy. They both stepped into the light neither noticing that the music has been halted for quite some time, not noticing the figure that stood only a few feet away. They were so enveloped in each other that when he spoke, it froze Regina as a jolt sparked through her with sudden panic and sorrow. Emma, well Emma couldn't believe it.

"Emma?" Neal said as both woman then looked up.

It took a moment.

Regina suddenly regretted leaving the small meadow.

"Neal?" Emma said with disbelief.

###

The sun shined on Henry's face, birds sang in the distance as he snored away. Attina stepped into the light shining down on Henry shifting from foot to foot.

"What are you planning," Pan asked from sitting against a tree not too far from them.

"That maybe he will make up his mind if he met a dying sick girl who needs the magic from the island."

Pan lifted his head off the bark of the tree.

"Do you still have that Wendy girl?"

"She'll never agree to do it."

"I think we've held her captive long enough, don't you think?"

Peter thought about it as a smile blossomed on his visage understanding the goddess, "I'll speak to her, you wake up our truest believer." He disappeared in a swirl of green.

###

Regina would be lying if she said it didn't hurt when Neal engulfed Emma in a big hug that resulted in her being lifted off the ground. She would be lying even more if she didn't want to tear off his nose as he buried himself into the crevice of her neck with leisure. The only thing she didn't see was how uncomfortable the blonde was, how she stiffened her body as soon as his touch met hers. Regina was merely too blinded by her sudden heighten animosity in her sons other parent.

"You're back," that's all she had in response.

Regina stepped further away until a hand stopped her from bumping into him, she turned around to see Hook.

"Hurts doesn't it? Seeing someone you like in someone else's arms." He said.

She looked back to Neal's smiling face at Emma. Regina turned and shouldered him as she passed to go to a quieter place, one that didn't include Henry's real parents. She grabbed her chest as it suddenly intensified of its own pain.

###

Henry sat at the bottom of the ladder to the tree house where he thought over what the blonde above just told him. He had just met Wendy.

"Hello," he looked up into the high cheek bones with swirling blue-green eyes slightly covered by deep velvet hair.

"Attina," he said a little breathless.

She smiled then sat next to him, "I know that was low move but-"

"No I'm glad you told me," he twirled the mask in his hands, "at least you're not lying."

"I don't think I can lie to you Henry," she covered her hands over his as he trailed his eyes up her arm to her mystic eyes.

"I-I want to help but-"he looked down completely missing her split second distain, "I'm just scared I guess."

Attina patted his hands, "common," she stood up and held out both hands to the boy.

"Where are we going?"

"Well, I'm not going to force you to do anything-"

He grabbed her hands and she helped him up, "I promise I won't, but this island is nearing it's time-"they began to walk hand in hand, "and if you don't make a choice by tomorrow, I'd like my last day here to be filled with my favorite game."

Henry felt guilt slip into him as the leaves below him crunched under his feet, "which is?"

"Treasure hunt," she smiled then quickened her pace dragging him along until they ran past the trees and somewhere along the way he dropped his mask, but he didn't care, she held his hand all the way back to camp.

###

Emma took deep breathes, filling her lungs then releasing it, she leans against the side of the hut. Her hands shook slightly as her legs bent unwilling to hold her burdens any longer and she slid to the ground below her. It was dark now, the drums have stopped beating, and the fire is nothing but glowing embers soon to fade. Even the tiny fairies glowed a lighter hue above her as they slept. The moon was covered by heavier clouds as if it too were too tired to shine down upon the magical place. The souls here have laid down in their respective homes and here Emma sat trying to breathe it all in.

She filed the situations from important to least important;

Henry.

Regina.

Her parents.

Attina.

Peter Pan.

Neal.

Hook.

Regina disappeared soon after Neal appeared and Hook stood not too far off remaining a gloomy reminder of her recent decisions lately. Her mother seemed even happier than the unexpected ex-lover of her life came back. The villagers crowded her with questions on how she knew their old friend, "Bealfire."

Then the spectacle of the evening began to talk to her privately, or tried. Mostly it was her trying to duck every attempt at him getting closer, and closer, and ever so closer. At one point she asked her mother, much to the other woman's distain, where Regina had gone. In lieu of a proper response she merely suggested Emma go speak with Neal. Unfortunately he didn't know where the brunette woman.

In fact it was Dark Moon whom eventually told her that Regina ran towards the forest and not to worry because the queen told the princess that she just wanted a few minutes of space. Which is code for she ran away. She is still nowhere to be found and now here Emma sat, worried.

###

Regina watched as the mermaid Ariel disappeared under the water.

"The willow in the wind tells me you've met her sister," his voice was a horrific leitmotif, covetous to his own culture in the highlands of their own world a long time ago.

Regina turned towards Rumple, "she tried to eat me."

"I'm surprised you got away, then came all this way just to find her sister and what? Team up with me?"

"What are you implying?"

Rumple shrugged, "it's hard to escape a goddess, I wonder if you even escaped her, especially since brunettes are her thing."

"I think you just underestimate me, as usual." Regina huffed as she looked away patting her chest, it hurt slightly more than a few seconds ago.

"Perhaps I have," Rumple said as he smirked at the mayor's surprise with a slight raise of her eyebrow in his direction.

Then she did her best to stifle a yawn.

Rumple raised his finger to start off a sentence when she cut him off.

"Do not say anything."

"I'm just suggesting that a sleepy queen is a-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, all I care about is getting off this forsaken island and-"

The bushes rustled. Regina conjured a fireball as Rumple took a stance when out came blonde hair and a pair green eyes. Her heart nearly skipped a beat.

"Tinker Bell?" Regina sighed as the flames in her hand died down then patted her chest once more calming her erratic heartbeat.

She stopped looking between Regina and Rumple, "why are you with _him_?"

Rumple pointed at himself using a mock shocked tone at the way she referred to him, "I could ask you the same thing."

She looked to the brunette, "I was looking for her."

"Why?" Regina asked.

"Because unfortunately for you dear friend, I care," she sat promptly on the nearby boulder and smiled at the woman.

"Imagine that," Rumple chuckled as Regina embarrassingly ignored him, "finally someone whom cares about the notorious evil queen."

"Shut up, "Regina says at the same time as Tinker Bell spoke, "she wasn't always evil."

The man referred to as crocodile at times merely smirked looking between the two, "All it took was your life to be ruined, a curse or two, a little bit of torture, and your only son to be kidnapped by two nimwits."

The brunette merely sighed and sat next to Tinker Bell whispering, "thank you.' And, 'ignore him.'

Tink nodded as she watched Regina sniffle a yawn as she looked into the ocean beyond.

Rumple paced towards the opposite end of the small beach.

Tink leaned into her friend causing warmth to fill the right shoulder of Regina Mills, "when was the last time you slept?"

The brunette sighed, "when I was rudely captured."

"But you used a lot of magic haven't you? More than you've used in a while perhaps?"

Regina thought about it, "thirty years ago this much magic wouldn't even phase me." She looked at her hands rubbing off invisible dirt.

"Go to sleep Regina," Tink bumped shoulders with her, "I'll keep watch."

Regina let in a breathe of air as she did her best not to yawn as her heart started to beat harder causing her chest to feel heavier, "I'd rather not sleep while he's near."

"Why is he here? What did you do?"

Regina found it best not to lie, "everyone back at…the village are all dancing and sleeping and-" she thought of Emma's face as she looked at Neal, so surprised, and at the way they hugged, "embracing one another to get through whatever this is."

"And what is this Regina?"

"A stupid comfort. Henry is in danger and I can't sit there and watch them all congratulate each other on a job well done! We've made it through another day in hell. That isn't true another day lost is another day we're away from my son and it's another day he's in hell with an adolescent kidnapper."

Tink's hands covered her own fidgeting ones, in the moonlight her light skin touched her dark brown making it gleam ever brighter as Regina looked up into her friends green eyes. She had a smile and-

Regina grunted.

"Are you alright?" TInk asked in a concerned tone.

The brunette felt like her arms were on fire as her chest seemed to weight down on her like a burning ember deep within her ribs, but never the less she grasped onto her friends as she sported a smile while nodding, "yes, yes I'm fine."

She took a few deep breathes.

"Why are you here then Regina? Shouldn't you be out looking for Henry?"

"I-"she forced herself to stay calm, "I'm doing something better."

"With the crocodile man?" she asked.

"Well it's more like a means to an end."

"What do you guys plan?"

Regina felt woozy, "um, we can trap him you know."

"Trap whom?" Tink's voice was so soft spiking Regina's rising heart.

"Peter and Attina," she leaned into the blonde as her limbs felt tired.

"With what?"

Her chest started to feel heavy and heavier, like it was being pulled towards Tinker Bell, "in a um- a-"

"A what Regina?"

"A-an-a uh-"suddenly her vision started to blur, "box."

Something was wrong, this shouldn't be happening. She looked up into Tinker Bell's eyes and suddenly her eyes weren't green but a startling blue with a tinge of orange and red.

Like a sunset on a beach.

"What kind of box Regina?" That wasn't Tinker Bell.

The trees rustled causing Regina to jump up.

"Mom!" Henry stood there except- well he was different.

"Henry!" Regina tried standing up but failed as she fell into the arms of Tinker Bell.

She looked up to find that her friend was gone and instead there stood Attina.

"Krystina-" Regina started, "but-"

"Mom!" she looked back to Henry, he was smaller maybe around the age of five.

"Look at him my princess," she watched as Attina kept her held up right while her arm outstretched past her to her son, "he's so small so innocent-"

"Let me go." Regina tried but her body seemed to have given up on her.

"Oh but you'll miss the best part."

"Mom!" his voice shrieked as suddenly vines wrapped around him, squeezing him as he screamed out her name over and over ringing in her ears, "mom! Help me!"

"Henry!" she reached but a fireball ended up in her hand.

"Careful there, a small movement and he'll be set aflame by his own mother," Attina whispered in her ear.

She watched the flames in her hand grow becoming hotter and hotter, snaking up her arm.

"Or would you rather burn with me?" Attina said.

"You're so afraid to hurt him, any small movement and-"

The vines receded into Henry making him grow taller as a ten year old glaring at her. He looked angry with his fist held at his sides, "I hate you!"

It wasn't just the fire that burned her chest now.

"-he'll hate you."

"Regina-"the voice wasn't a part of Attina's or Henry's.

The flames began to wrap around her throat, she listened to the goddess's words, "would you destroy yourself for another's sake?"

"Regina!" that voice again, where is it?

Henry shifted suddenly into a boy wearing a tie as he looked her with a blank expression, "yes mother," he repeated over and over again.

His chanted started to mix with the unknown voice shouting her name.

Attina's lips grazed the tip of her ear as she spoke, "or would you risk destroying him to form the perfect child for yourself?"

Her slender fingers slid along her forearm.

"No-"Regina said.

"Just a slight flick and-" she moved the brunettes hand and out the flames flew forming a circle around Henry, ready to burn him, ready to destroy him and suffocate him for her own will, by her own hand until-

"REGINA!"

Regina jumped up from leaning against the bolder, she looked up to the unknown voice that plagued her dreams, "Rumple."

"I understand fighting a goddess is hard work but if you wish to sleep and have loud unfortunate dreams, I suggest you leave."

Regina stood up whipping off the sand from her pants, "no need."

She looked around seeing the sky paint a bright blue color, "how long was I asleep?"

"Most of the night," he commented while idly sitting on a rock.

"And you let me sleep?" she asked.

"You wouldn't be useful otherwise."

Regina nodded and looked towards the right of the trees half expecting to see Tinker Bell but all that came was the birds that began to chirp. So she sat on top of the bolder left to think about her dream and what it implied to her. She thought about how the others are probably wondering where is right now, about Dark Moon telling her father that no matter what they should at least help the Charming's, which then brought her around to Emma, and she watched the sun paint its own orange and pink hue across the skies. They reminded her of a time long ago with a friend that told her of stories plastered to the stars above.

It's odd how life is ever changing.


End file.
